Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Marawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $718 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
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Marawi Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Marawi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $718 in Marawi.

Makati $1,174
Marawi $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,100 in Marawi.

Makati $1,962
Marawi $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,482 in Marawi.

Makati $2,750
Marawi $1,482

Living in Makati is roughly 64% more expensive than in Marawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, Marawi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$3.97 ₱252

18.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,673

$16.15 ₱1,025

63.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$2.72 ₱173

47.43%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$2.13 ₱135

15.49%

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

$1.05 ₱66.7

$0.69 ₱43.55

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.47

$0.33 ₱21.10

78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.6

$1.20 ₱76.3

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.02 ₱128

19.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.64 ₱104

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.2

$1.09 ₱69.0

2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$0.89 ₱56.2

11.24%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.86 ₱118

18.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱477

$5.51 ₱350

36.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$4.21 ₱267

9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$7.15 ₱453

-1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.40 ₱152

34.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.56 ₱98.9

21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.33 ₱148

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$1.16 ₱73.5

-24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.3

$2.12 ₱134

-37.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.4

$2.19 ₱139

-36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.09 ₱68.9

71.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.95

$0.56 ₱35.58

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.85 ₱181

6.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱614

$7.30 ₱463

32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$0.93 ₱58.8

34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.91 ₱121

5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.41

$0.24 ₱15.26

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,660

$12.57 ₱797

358.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.70

$0.80 ₱50.5

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.68

$0.20 ₱12.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.87 ₱118

4.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.6

$1.17 ₱74.5

6.84%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-1.77%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-1.23%

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

$111 ₱7,032

$119 ₱7,578

-7.20%

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

$16.82 ₱1,067

$15.62 ₱991

7.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,523

$24.25 ₱1,538

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,591

$30.78 ₱1,953

83.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱897

$5.09 ₱323

177.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$5.17 ₱328

22.05%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

$130 ₱8,234

377.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.9K

$7,809 ₱495.4K

-33.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,515

$32.78 ₱2,080

69.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,987

$19.34 ₱1,227

61.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,441

$71.5 ₱4,537

-2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,670

$54.6 ₱3,461

6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$248 ₱15.7K

230.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$164 ₱10.4K

202.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.8K

$497 ₱31.6K

400.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.1K

$352 ₱22.3K

268.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.8K

$2,638 ₱167.4K

112.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.7K

$1,089 ₱69.1K

226.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

$277 ₱17.6K

89.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

1.16%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Marawi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Marawi

$164 22.8% 66.9% $331

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Marawi

$179 24.9% 12.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Marawi

$159 22.2% 5% $7.7

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Marawi

$80 11.1% 17.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Marawi

$80 11.2% 17% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Marawi

$41 5.7% 40.6% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Marawi

$15 2.1% 75.5% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $248 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $16 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $179 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Marawi

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

207,010

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Marawi 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marawi wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Marawi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $820 in Makati versus $248 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,174 per month in Makati versus $718 in Marawi – Marawi is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.