Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Lipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $596 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
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Lipa Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Lipa

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $596 in Lipa, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Lipa $596

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $924 in Lipa, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Lipa $924

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,252 in Lipa, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Lipa $1,252

Makati costs about 106% more than Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Makati and Lipa are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Lipa 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱407

$3.12 ₱199

105.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,449

$15.87 ₱1,011

142.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.78 ₱177

71.94%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$1.83 ₱117

41.53%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.42 ₱26.58

159.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.29

$0.31 ₱19.52

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.02 ₱65.2

134.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$1.52 ₱96.8

109.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.51 ₱96.4

19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.10 ₱70.1

14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.6

$0.83 ₱52.6

24.10%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.72 ₱109

37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$5.13 ₱327

34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$3.26 ₱208

51.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱429

$7.81 ₱498

-13.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.28 ₱145

80.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.57 ₱99.7

21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.28 ₱145

39.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.01 ₱64.3

122.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$1.67 ₱106

112.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.70 ₱109

105.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$0.60 ₱38.36

78.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.49 ₱31.10

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.91 ₱186

-10.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$8.39 ₱534

-6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.89 ₱56.9

44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.94 ₱124

-0.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.27 ₱17.23

225.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,583

$4.80 ₱306

1072.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.46

$0.68 ₱43.28

-4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.24 ₱15.33

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.87 ₱119

1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.10 ₱69.9

16.36%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.04%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$15.4K ₱982.6K

22.29%

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

$151 ₱9,639

$135 ₱8,605

12.02%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$17.10 ₱1,089

-8.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$22.80 ₱1,452

37.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,393

$31.49 ₱2,005

69.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱894

$3.83 ₱244

266.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$5.06 ₱322

42.69%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$132 ₱8,375

489.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱470.7K

$10.6K ₱675.9K

-30.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,814

$28.79 ₱1,834

107.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,354

$19.29 ₱1,228

91.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,161

$71.7 ₱4,565

13.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,426

$55.7 ₱3,545

81.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$79.1 ₱5,039

947.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$58.6 ₱3,729

631.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$241 ₱15.4K

791.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.3K

$177 ₱11.3K

640.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱363.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

$222 ₱14.1K

164.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

25.00%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lipa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Lipa

$59 9.8% 86.3% $370

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Lipa

$168 28.2% 26% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Lipa

$175 29.3% 11.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Lipa

$79 13.2% 37.1% $47

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Lipa

$66 11.1% 45.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Lipa

$42 7% 38.5% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Lipa

$7.8 1.3% 87.4% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $79 in Lipa. 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 2.6 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 Lipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $168 – making Lipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

332,386

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Makati Lipa 70 km

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Makati
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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 Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Makati, $596 in Lipa – Lipa comes out roughly 52% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $894 in Lipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lipa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $79 there versus $829 in Makati.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Lipa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $776 per month in Makati and $132 in Lipa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Lipa, where all-in costs run around $596, than in Makati at $1,230. In Lipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lipa – 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.

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