Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Laoag City

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $717 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
Learn more

Laoag City Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Laoag City

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 Laoag City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $717 in Laoag City, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Laoag City $717

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $1,117 in Laoag City, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Laoag City $1,117

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,517 in Laoag City, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Laoag City $1,517

Makati costs about 72% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Laoag City are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Laoag City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱405

$4.30 ₱273

48.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,437

$16.20 ₱1,027

137.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱303

$2.69 ₱171

77.70%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱164

$2.44 ₱155

6.15%

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

$1.09 ₱69.4

$0.68 ₱43.18

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.14

$0.31 ₱19.85

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.00 ₱63.5

139.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱201

$1.89 ₱120

68.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.60 ₱101

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.2

$1.14 ₱72.5

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.3

$0.89 ₱56.1

15.73%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱150

$1.86 ₱118

27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱438

$6.02 ₱381

14.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱313

$4.03 ₱256

22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱427

$7.07 ₱448

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱261

$2.29 ₱145

79.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.59 ₱101

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱202

$2.38 ₱151

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$1.10 ₱69.5

104.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱225

$2.18 ₱138

62.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱222

$2.20 ₱139

59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.5

$1.02 ₱64.7

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$0.52 ₱33.21

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.97 ₱188

-12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱498

$7.49 ₱475

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱81.9

$0.93 ₱59.1

38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.85 ₱117

4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.24 ₱15.20

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,566

$12.87 ₱816

337.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.26

$0.75 ₱47.49

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.27

$0.21 ₱13.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.94 ₱123

-2.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.0

$0.94 ₱59.6

36.17%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-0.25%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.74%

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

$151 ₱9,592

$109 ₱6,907

38.87%

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

$15.59 ₱988

$17.25 ₱1,094

-9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,989

$23.88 ₱1,513

31.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,376

$31.78 ₱2,014

67.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱890

$4.53 ₱287

209.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱458

$4.97 ₱315

45.27%

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

$776 ₱49.2K

$132 ₱8,372

487.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱468.5K

$8,581 ₱543.9K

-13.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,795

$33.12 ₱2,099

80.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,343

$19.34 ₱1,226

91.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,136

$70.9 ₱4,494

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,395

$54.3 ₱3,439

85.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.5K

$214 ₱13.5K

288.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.2K

$167 ₱10.6K

157.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱136.3K

$484 ₱30.7K

344.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱82.9K

$383 ₱24.3K

241.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱362.2K

$2,667 ₱169.1K

114.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱226.2K

$977 ₱61.9K

265.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.2K

$155 ₱9,834

278.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.92

8.38%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Laoag City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Laoag City

$167 23.2% 61.1% $262

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Laoag City

$178 24.9% 21.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Laoag City

$150 20.9% 24.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Laoag City

$80 11.2% 36.3% $46

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Laoag City

$85 11.8% 30.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Laoag City

$42 5.8% 38.4% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Laoag City

$16 2.2% 74.6% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $214 in Laoag City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Makati are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Makati versus $16 in Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $178 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

112,117

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Laoag City 410 km

From you

Makati
Laoag City

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 Laoag City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati costs about 72% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $1,075 in Laoag City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Laoag City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $214 there versus $829 in Makati.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,230 in Makati and $717 in Laoag City. That makes Laoag City about 42% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $717, than in Makati at $1,230. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Laoag City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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