Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Legazpi

For one person, living is cheaper in Legazpi: $843 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Legazpi
Learn more

Legazpi Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Legazpi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Legazpi

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

A single person spends $1,174 per month in Makati vs $843 in Legazpi, rent included.

Makati $1,174
Legazpi $843

A couple spends around $1,962 per month in Makati vs $1,251 in Legazpi, rent included.

Makati $1,962
Legazpi $1,251

A family of three spends $2,750 per month in Makati vs $1,658 in Legazpi, rent included.

Makati $2,750
Legazpi $1,658

Makati costs about 39% more than Legazpi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Makati and Legazpi are more affordable than the global median – Makati 13% lower, Legazpi 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱299

$3.50 ₱222

34.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,671

$23.09 ₱1,463

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱254

$3.73 ₱236

7.51%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$2.05 ₱130

20.00%

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

$1.05 ₱66.7

$0.72 ₱45.39

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.43

$0.36 ₱23.05

63.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.6

$1.20 ₱76.3

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.32 ₱147

3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.54 ₱97.5

20.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.2

$0.96 ₱60.6

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.5

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.93 ₱122

13.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱476

$5.33 ₱338

40.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱293

$3.81 ₱242

21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱444

$6.94 ₱440

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.53 ₱161

27.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.96 ₱124

-3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.57 ₱163

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.89 ₱56.6

-1.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.3

$1.69 ₱107

-21.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.3

$1.66 ₱105

-16.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.82 ₱51.9

128.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.92

$0.52 ₱32.97

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.98 ₱189

1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱613

$6.08 ₱386

59.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.20 ₱76.0

4.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.66 ₱105

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.36

$0.40 ₱25.55

90.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,657

$13.34 ₱845

332.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.65

$0.79 ₱49.97

-5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.67

$0.22 ₱13.90

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.85 ₱117

5.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.21 ₱76.6

3.31%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

2.68%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.34%

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

$111 ₱7,025

$120 ₱7,602

-7.59%

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

$16.82 ₱1,066

$17.18 ₱1,089

-2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,521

$24.95 ₱1,581

-3.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,588

$30.64 ₱1,942

84.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱896

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$4.47 ₱284

41.16%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

$285 ₱18.1K

117.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.5K

$8,361 ₱530.0K

-37.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,512

$51.6 ₱3,270

7.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,985

$30.77 ₱1,950

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,437

$72.5 ₱4,594

-3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,666

$52.5 ₱3,329

10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$421 ₱26.7K

94.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$282 ₱17.9K

75.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.7K

$818 ₱51.9K

203.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.0K

$485 ₱30.7K

167.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.4K

$3,451 ₱218.7K

62.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.5K

$2,356 ₱149.3K

50.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Legazpi: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Legazpi

$282 33.4% 43.1% $213

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Legazpi

$171 20.3% 15.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Legazpi

$162 19.2% 6.9% $10

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Legazpi

$79 9.3% 18.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Legazpi

$93 11.1% 3.4% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Legazpi

$40 4.7% 42.8% $30

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Legazpi

$17 2% 73.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Makati versus $421 in Legazpi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Makati versus $23 in Legazpi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $171 – making Legazpi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Legazpi

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

209,533

💱 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 Legazpi 330 km

From you

Makati
Legazpi

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 Legazpi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,174 in Makati, $843 in Legazpi – Legazpi comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,761 per month in Makati and $1,265 in Legazpi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Legazpi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $820 in Makati.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,174 in Makati and $843 in Legazpi. That makes Legazpi about 28% cheaper.

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

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Legazpi is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 28% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.