Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Mandaue

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $826 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
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Mandaue Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$826

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Mandaue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $826 in Mandaue.

Makati $1,228
Mandaue $826

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,039 in Makati versus $1,204 in Mandaue.

Makati $2,039
Mandaue $1,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,850 in Makati versus $1,582 in Mandaue.

Makati $2,850
Mandaue $1,582

Living in Makati is roughly 49% more expensive than in Mandaue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Mandaue 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 ₱405

$3.03 ₱191

112.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 ₱2,511

$23.94 ₱1,507

66.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱301

$4.10 ₱258

16.59%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱163

$2.59 ₱163

-0.39%

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

$1.10 ₱69.3

$0.63 ₱39.56

74.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.66

$0.48 ₱30.52

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₱148

$1.72 ₱109

36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱197

$2.21 ₱139

42.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.86 ₱117

2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$1.16 ₱73.3

6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.9

$0.98 ₱61.5

3.06%

Eggs

$2.36 ₱149

$1.96 ₱124

20.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 ₱442

$10.17 ₱640

-31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱310

$4.61 ₱290

6.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 ₱434

$7.53 ₱474

-8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₱252

$3.47 ₱219

15.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.46 ₱91.8

33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₱203

$2.37 ₱149

36.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.49 ₱93.9

53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₱228

$2.43 ₱153

48.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$1.95 ₱123

77.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱69.8

$1.18 ₱74.4

-5.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$0.68 ₱42.88

69.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ₱168

$2.44 ₱154

9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱497

$6.28 ₱396

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.4

$1.25 ₱78.4

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₱128

$1.65 ₱104

23.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$0.26 ₱16.51

253.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ₱3,539

$11.02 ₱694

410.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ₱40.57

$0.80 ₱50.1

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.21 ₱13.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.6

$1.32 ₱83.2

-4.55%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-3.73%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.50%

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

$153 ₱9,651

$98.1 ₱6,173

56.33%

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

$15.87 ₱999

$14.39 ₱906

10.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 ₱2,038

$27.74 ₱1,747

16.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 ₱3,430

$31.94 ₱2,011

70.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ₱902

$4.77 ₱301

200.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱453

$5.52 ₱348

30.43%

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

$805 ₱50.7K

$132 ₱8,303

510.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,474 ₱470.6K

$8,157 ₱513.6K

-8.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ₱3,871

$32.92 ₱2,073

86.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 ₱2,291

$19.64 ₱1,236

85.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ₱5,112

$76.1 ₱4,788

6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₱6,604

$57.7 ₱3,631

81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₱51.1K

$265 ₱16.7K

206.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$253 ₱15.9K

65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 ₱145.4K

$755 ₱47.5K

205.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₱68.6K

$349 ₱22.0K

212.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,032 ₱379.8K

$2,428 ₱152.9K

148.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 ₱232.5K

$1,003 ₱63.2K

268.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 ₱38.0K

$236 ₱14.9K

156.01%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Mandaue

$253 30.6% 39.4% $165

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Mandaue

$207 25.1% 9.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$202 16.4%

Mandaue

$140 17% 30.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$128 10.4%

Mandaue

$84 10.2% 34.4% $44

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Mandaue

$85 10.3% 29.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Mandaue

$43 5.2% 37.6% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5%

Mandaue

$14 1.7% 77.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Makati and $265 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 156% 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 $24.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $207 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🕒 Local time

20:30 8:30 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

364,116

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Mandaue 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Mandaue

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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $811 in Makati versus $265 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $826 in Mandaue – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandaue runs roughly 410% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $826 in Mandaue versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $826 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.