Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $689 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Marikina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $689 in Marikina.

Makati $1,230
Marikina $689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,068 in Marikina.

Makati $2,137
Marikina $1,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,447 in Marikina.

Makati $3,044
Marikina $1,447

Living in Makati is roughly 79% more expensive than in Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Marikina 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$3.94 ₱251

62.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,450

$31.68 ₱2,019

21.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$3.21 ₱205

48.91%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.18 ₱139

18.81%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.59 ₱37.91

84.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.30

$0.31 ₱19.59

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.03 ₱65.4

132.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$2.42 ₱154

31.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.26 ₱80.0

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.7

$1.00 ₱63.6

3.00%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.00 ₱127

18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$4.15 ₱264

18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$6.74 ₱429

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.32 ₱148

77.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.00 ₱127

-5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.38 ₱152

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$2.30 ₱147

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$2.38 ₱152

49.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$3.53 ₱225

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$1.06 ₱67.3

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.68 ₱43.09

66.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.83 ₱180

-8.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$8.56 ₱545

-8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.95 ₱60.7

35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.96 ₱125

-1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.48 ₱30.69

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,585

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.48

$0.68 ₱43.44

-4.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.34

$0.21 ₱13.35

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.18 ₱75.5

8.47%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.13%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.67%

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

$151 ₱9,643

$135 ₱8,620

11.88%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$15.48 ₱987

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$27.51 ₱1,753

14.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,394

$36.07 ₱2,298

47.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱895

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$6.83 ₱435

5.71%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$131 ₱8,367

490.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.0K

$7,188 ₱458.0K

2.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,816

$58.3 ₱3,713

2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,355

$27.72 ₱1,766

33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,163

$73.3 ₱4,672

10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,429

$55.3 ₱3,524

82.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$177 ₱11.3K

367.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$78.7 ₱5,017

444.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$318 ₱20.2K

577.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.4K

$138 ₱8,793

848.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.1K

$1,099 ₱70.0K

419.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.4K

$467 ₱29.8K

664.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

$384 ₱24.4K

53.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marikina: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Marikina

$79 11.4% 81.6% $350

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Marikina

$201 29.2% 11.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Marikina

$178 25.9% 10.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Marikina

$97 14% 23% $29

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Marikina

$81 11.7% 33.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Marikina

$50 7.2% 26.6% $18

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Marikina

$3.7 * 0.5% 94% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $177 in Marikina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 53% 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: $38 in Makati vs $32 in Marikina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $201 per month, with Marikina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

456,059

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Makati Marikina 12 km

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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 Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marikina wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Marikina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $829 in Makati versus $177 in Marikina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $689 in Marikina – Marikina is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $689 in Marikina versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Marikina but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Marikina the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Makati and Marikina are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Marikina wins on affordability, Makati on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.