Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Negros

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $721 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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 Negros
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Negros Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Negros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $721 in Negros.

Makati $1,174
Negros $721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,086 in Negros.

Makati $1,962
Negros $1,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,452 in Negros.

Makati $2,750
Negros $1,452

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱299

$3.21 ₱204

47.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,671

$11.52 ₱730

128.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱254

$2.76 ₱175

45.29%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.44 ₱91.2

70.83%

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

$1.05 ₱66.6

$0.69 ₱43.48

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.42

$0.41 ₱25.94

43.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.5

$1.14 ₱72.3

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.93 ₱122

24.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.88 ₱119

-1.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.1

$1.11 ₱70.2

0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.4

$1.02 ₱64.3

-2.94%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.90 ₱120

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱476

$4.71 ₱299

59.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱293

$4.30 ₱272

7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱444

$7.57 ₱479

-7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$3.16 ₱200

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.32 ₱83.4

43.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.23 ₱141

23.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$1.46 ₱92.3

-39.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.2

$2.28 ₱144

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.3

$1.93 ₱122

-28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.06 ₱67.4

76.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.90

$0.59 ₱37.55

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.84 ₱180

6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱613

$6.30 ₱399

53.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.4

$1.27 ₱80.3

-1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.69 ₱107

18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.34

$0.24 ₱15.26

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,655

$12.40 ₱785

365.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.64

$0.79 ₱49.84

-5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.66

$0.22 ₱13.95

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.89 ₱120

3.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.35 ₱85.7

-7.41%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-0.33%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-0.70%

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

$111 ₱7,023

$118 ₱7,452

-5.76%

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

$16.82 ₱1,066

$15.58 ₱987

7.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,521

$28.23 ₱1,788

-14.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,587

$31.13 ₱1,972

81.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱896

$5.14 ₱326

175.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$5.44 ₱345

15.99%

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

$619 ₱39.2K

$130 ₱8,263

374.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.4K

$7,904 ₱500.8K

-33.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,511

$32.80 ₱2,078

68.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,984

$19.50 ₱1,235

60.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,435

$76.2 ₱4,825

-8.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,665

$55.9 ₱3,540

3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱51.9K

$247 ₱15.7K

231.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.3K

$170 ₱10.7K

191.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.6K

$480 ₱30.4K

418.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.0K

$352 ₱22.3K

268.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.3K

$2,583 ₱163.7K

117.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.4K

$1,093 ₱69.2K

225.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

$233 ₱14.8K

124.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Negros: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Negros

$170 23.5% 65.7% $325

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Negros

$184 25.6% 9.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Negros

$161 22.4% 6.4% $9.8

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Negros

$65 9.1% 32.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Negros

$83 11.5% 14.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Negros

$42 5.8% 39.3% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Negros

$15 2.1% 75.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $247 in Negros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $12 in Negros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $184 per month, with Negros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Negros

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

4,414,131

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Negros 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Negros

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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay in Makati is about 2.2 times higher, 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 $247 in Negros. 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 $721 in Negros – Negros is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Negros runs roughly 79% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $721 in Negros versus $1,174 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negros but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Negros 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.

Expats usually find Negros 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.