Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $948 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Manila

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $948 in Manila.

Makati $1,228
Manila $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,508 in Manila.

Makati $2,028
Manila $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $2,068 in Manila.

Makati $2,828
Manila $2,068

Living in Makati is roughly 30% more expensive than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$5.46 ₱344

13.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$26.93 ₱1,695

46.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$3.90 ₱246

25.13%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.62 ₱165

-2.67%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.36 ₱85.5

-22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.83 ₱52.3

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.22 ₱76.9

95.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$2.32 ₱146

38.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.96 ₱123

-3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.42 ₱89.1

-9.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.04 ₱65.4

1.92%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.23 ₱140

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$7.70 ₱485

-5.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.91 ₱309

-1.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$7.12 ₱448

-1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$3.23 ₱204

25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.92 ₱121

1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.93 ₱184

9.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.79 ₱113

27.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.32 ₱146

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$2.73 ₱172

31.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$2.12 ₱133

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.59 ₱37.25

88.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$3.18 ₱200

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$9.81 ₱618

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.34 ₱84.1

-1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.00 ₱126

-1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.47 ₱29.47

91.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$12.56 ₱791

352.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.73 ₱46.07

-8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.87 ₱118

3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.28 ₱80.6

-2.34%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-0.51%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

1.35%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$124 ₱7,822

22.99%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$15.73 ₱990

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$24.40 ₱1,536

32.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$43.31 ₱2,727

26.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$5.79 ₱365

144.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$6.76 ₱425

6.80%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$630 ₱39.7K

26.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

-18.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$58.3 ₱3,668

4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$27.34 ₱1,721

34.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$75.6 ₱4,758

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$56.6 ₱3,564

82.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$536 ₱33.8K

51.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$284 ₱17.9K

47.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

21.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$654 ₱41.2K

63.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

32.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

47.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$467 ₱29.4K

28.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.43

0.94%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Manila

$284 29.9% 32% $134

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Manila

$222 23.5% 3.9% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Manila

$164 17.3% 18.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Manila

$98 10.3% 23% $29

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Manila

$106 11.2% 11% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Manila

$57 6% 18% $12

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 73.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $536 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 29% 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 $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $222 per month, with Manila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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

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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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $536 in Manila. 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 $948 in Manila – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manila runs roughly 352% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $948 in Manila versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manila but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Manila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Manila delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $948 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Manila hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Manila 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 Manila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.