Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Maasin City

For one person, living is cheaper in Maasin City: $755 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Maasin City
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Maasin City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Maasin City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Maasin 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 Maasin City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $755 in Maasin City.

Makati $1,228
Maasin City $755

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,132 in Maasin City.

Makati $2,028
Maasin City $1,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $1,508 in Maasin City.

Makati $2,828
Maasin City $1,508

Living in Makati is roughly 63% more expensive than in Maasin City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Maasin City 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$3.11 ₱196

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$23.45 ₱1,476

68.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$3.86 ₱243

26.42%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.57 ₱162

-0.78%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.58 ₱99.6

-32.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.49 ₱30.61

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.72 ₱108

38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$2.21 ₱139

45.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.96 ₱123

-3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.18 ₱74.3

9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.91 ₱57.3

16.48%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$1.86 ₱117

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$9.92 ₱625

-26.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.41 ₱277

10.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$7.35 ₱463

-4.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$1.62 ₱102

149.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.67 ₱41.93

189.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$1.58 ₱99.2

103.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.54 ₱97.2

48.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.34 ₱148

48.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.91 ₱120

87.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.20 ₱75.9

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.67 ₱42.21

65.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$3.02 ₱190

-10.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$6.33 ₱398

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.23 ₱77.5

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$1.72 ₱108

15.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.24 ₱15.18

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$12.06 ₱760

370.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.74 ₱46.38

-9.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.23 ₱14.49

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.92 ₱121

0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.37 ₱86.0

-8.76%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

1.48%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

1.16%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$122 ₱7,695

25.02%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$14.04 ₱884

14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$27.70 ₱1,744

16.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$30.38 ₱1,913

80.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$4.24 ₱267

233.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$5.53 ₱348

30.56%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$135 ₱8,488

489.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$7,885 ₱496.4K

-7.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$32.99 ₱2,077

85.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$19.59 ₱1,233

88.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$76.0 ₱4,786

7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$56.9 ₱3,581

81.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$269 ₱17.0K

202.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$174 ₱11.0K

139.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$474 ₱29.8K

380.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$301 ₱19.0K

254.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$2,140 ₱134.7K

174.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$977 ₱61.5K

282.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$125 ₱7,886

380.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.2

4.17%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Maasin City

$174 23.1% 58.3% $243

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Maasin City

$188 25% 18.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Maasin City

$164 21.7% 18.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Maasin City

$83 11.1% 34.4% $44

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Maasin City

$89 11.7% 25.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Maasin City

$41 5.5% 40.2% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Maasin City

$15 2% 76% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $269 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 380% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $23.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $188 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Maasin City

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

85,560

💱 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

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Between locations

Makati Maasin City 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Maasin 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 Maasin City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 380% higher in Makati, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $815 in Makati versus $269 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maasin City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $40.00 in Makati. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $755 in Maasin City versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maasin City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Makati, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Makati and Maasin City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.