Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $657 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
Learn more

Imus Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Imus

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Makati and in Imus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Makati vs $657 in Imus, rent included.

Makati $1,228
Imus $657

A couple spends around $2,039 per month in Makati vs $978 in Imus, rent included.

Makati $2,039
Imus $978

A family of three spends $2,850 per month in Makati vs $1,299 in Imus, rent included.

Makati $2,850
Imus $1,299

Makati costs about 87% more than Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Imus are more affordable than the global median – Makati 9% lower, Imus 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 ₱405

$4.01 ₱252

60.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 ₱2,511

$16.46 ₱1,037

142.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱301

$2.88 ₱181

65.97%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱163

$1.88 ₱118

37.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$0.61 ₱38.33

80.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.66

$0.33 ₱20.94

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₱148

$1.03 ₱64.7

128.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱197

$1.64 ₱103

91.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.67 ₱105

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$1.11 ₱69.9

11.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.9

$1.01 ₱63.5

Eggs

$2.36 ₱149

$2.01 ₱126

17.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 ₱442

$5.11 ₱322

37.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱310

$3.36 ₱212

46.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 ₱434

$7.91 ₱498

-12.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₱252

$2.31 ₱145

73.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.59 ₱100

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₱203

$2.42 ₱152

33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.84 ₱116

24.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₱228

$1.69 ₱106

114.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$1.80 ₱113

92.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱69.8

$0.65 ₱41.04

70.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$0.49 ₱30.78

134.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ₱168

$3.04 ₱191

-12.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱497

$9.02 ₱568

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.4

$1.09 ₱68.5

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₱128

$2.06 ₱130

-0.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$0.24 ₱15.01

283.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ₱3,539

$11.10 ₱699

406.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ₱40.57

$0.79 ₱49.64

-18.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.23 ₱14.51

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.89 ₱119

-1.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.6

$1.20 ₱75.5

5.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-0.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.89%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$153 ₱9,651

$125 ₱7,863

22.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.87 ₱999

$15.76 ₱992

0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 ₱2,038

$23.73 ₱1,494

36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 ₱3,430

$33.01 ₱2,078

65.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ₱902

$4.61 ₱290

210.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱453

$5.16 ₱325

39.53%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$805 ₱50.7K

$132 ₱8,307

510.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,474 ₱470.6K

$9,101 ₱573.0K

-17.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ₱3,871

$28.92 ₱1,821

112.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 ₱2,291

$19.90 ₱1,253

82.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ₱5,112

$73.0 ₱4,593

11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₱6,604

$54.7 ₱3,441

91.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₱51.1K

$118 ₱7,400

590.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$99.7 ₱6,275

318.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 ₱145.4K

$201 ₱12.7K

1047.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₱68.6K

$169 ₱10.6K

547.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,032 ₱379.8K

$2,374 ₱149.5K

154.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 ₱232.5K

$978 ₱61.6K

277.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 ₱38.0K

$174 ₱10.9K

247.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Last update for Imus: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Imus

$100 15.2% 76.1% $317

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Imus

$180 27.5% 21.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$202 16.4%

Imus

$164 25% 18.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$128 10.4%

Imus

$79 12.1% 37.9% $48

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Imus

$75 11.5% 37.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Imus

$43 6.6% 37.1% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5%

Imus

$14 2.1% 77.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $811 in Makati versus $118 in Imus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 247% higher in Makati, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Makati versus $16.00 in Imus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $180 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

496,794

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Imus 17 km

From you

Makati
Imus

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makati vs Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,228 in Makati, $657 in Imus – roughly 87% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Makati and $985 in Imus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Imus, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Makati, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Makati and $16.00 in Imus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Makati at $1,228. In Imus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Makati has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $657 in Imus to $1,228 in Makati. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Imus. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.