Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $632 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Lucena

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Makati vs $632 in Lucena, rent included.

Makati $1,230
Lucena $632

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Makati vs $1,026 in Lucena, rent included.

Makati $2,137
Lucena $1,026

A family of three spends $3,044 per month in Makati vs $1,421 in Lucena, rent included.

Makati $3,044
Lucena $1,421

Makati costs about 95% more than Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Makati and Lucena are more affordable than the global median – Makati 10% lower, Lucena 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$1.42 ₱90.9

350.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,460

$18.88 ₱1,208

103.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$1.60 ₱103

198.75%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$1.36 ₱86.7

90.44%

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

$1.09 ₱70.0

$0.30 ₱18.95

263.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.44

$0.28 ₱18.06

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.37 ₱87.4

74.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.31 ₱83.9

142.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.61 ₱103

11.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.9

$1.10 ₱70.6

14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱66.0

$0.91 ₱58.2

13.19%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱152

$1.80 ₱115

31.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱442

$6.73 ₱431

2.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱316

$4.18 ₱267

17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$6.89 ₱441

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$3.94 ₱252

4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.41 ₱90.1

34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$3.52 ₱226

-9.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.11 ₱70.9

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$2.33 ₱149

52.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱224

$3.25 ₱208

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.40 ₱89.8

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱72.0

$0.91 ₱58.3

24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.79 ₱179

-6.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱503

$7.37 ₱472

6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.7

$1.30 ₱83.3

-0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.81 ₱116

6.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.5

$0.22 ₱14.02

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,600

$12.17 ₱779

362.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.66

$0.76 ₱48.66

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.40

$0.21 ₱13.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$2.55 ₱164

-25.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.7

$1.16 ₱74.0

10.34%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.4M

-1.64%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

1.60%

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

$151 ₱9,685

$46.73 ₱2,990

223.86%

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

$15.59 ₱997

$6.27 ₱401

148.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,008

$10.74 ₱687

192.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,409

$33.83 ₱2,165

57.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱899

$5.35 ₱342

162.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱462

$7.17 ₱459

0.70%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$70.3 ₱4,499

1003.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱473.0K

$2,461 ₱157.5K

200.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,832

$35.51 ₱2,272

68.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,365

$22.17 ₱1,419

66.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,185

$78.7 ₱5,037

2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,456

$74.1 ₱4,741

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.1K

$246 ₱15.7K

236.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$164 ₱10.5K

161.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.6K

$481 ₱30.8K

347.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.7K

$355 ₱22.7K

268.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.7K

$2,752 ₱176.1K

107.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.4K

$1,144 ₱73.2K

211.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.6K

$307 ₱19.7K

91.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.14%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lucena: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Lucena

$164 26% 61.7% $265

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Lucena

$202 32% 10.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Lucena

$64 10.1% 67.9% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Lucena

$95 15% 24.5% $31

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Lucena

$44 7% 63.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Lucena

$48 7.6% 28.8% $20

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Lucena

$15 2.4% 75.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Makati versus $246 in Lucena. 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 91% 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 $38 in Makati versus $19 in Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $202 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

278,924

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Makati Lucena 94 km

From you

Makati
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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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Makati, $632 in Lucena – Lucena comes out roughly 49% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Makati and $948 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lucena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $246 there versus $829 in Makati.

Kindergarten costs $776 per month in Makati and $70 in Lucena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Makati, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Makati at $1,230. In Lucena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Makati it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lucena – 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 Lucena. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Makati makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.