Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Olongapo

For one person, living is cheaper in Olongapo: $694 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Olongapo
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Olongapo Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Olongapo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Olongapo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $694 in Olongapo.

Makati $1,230
Olongapo $694

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,056 in Olongapo.

Makati $2,137
Olongapo $1,056

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,418 in Olongapo.

Makati $3,044
Olongapo $1,418

Living in Makati is roughly 77% more expensive than in Olongapo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$4.02 ₱257

59.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$16.23 ₱1,037

136.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.73 ₱174

75.09%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$1.82 ₱116

42.31%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.54 ₱34.62

101.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.33 ₱21.11

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.03 ₱65.7

132.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.44 ₱92.2

120.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.67 ₱106

7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$0.41 ₱25.98

207.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.82 ₱52.2

25.61%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.90 ₱121

24.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$4.89 ₱312

41.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$2.52 ₱161

95.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$7.80 ₱498

-13.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.25 ₱144

83.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$0.97 ₱62.1

95.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.38 ₱152

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.05 ₱67.1

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.65 ₱105

115.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.74 ₱111

101.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.62 ₱39.61

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.41 ₱26.15

175.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.97 ₱190

-12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$8.34 ₱533

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.87 ₱55.9

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$2.03 ₱129

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.25 ₱15.71

252.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$12.98 ₱830

333.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.75 ₱47.74

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.24 ₱15.38

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.85 ₱118

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.07 ₱68.6

19.63%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.78%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.14%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$124 ₱7,946

21.69%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$17.26 ₱1,103

-9.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$23.34 ₱1,491

34.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$31.45 ₱2,009

69.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$5.91 ₱378

137.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$4.33 ₱276

66.74%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$76.8 ₱4,907

910.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$10.6K ₱678.8K

-30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$28.90 ₱1,847

107.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$18.85 ₱1,204

96.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$71.0 ₱4,536

14.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$54.1 ₱3,456

86.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$251 ₱16.1K

229.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$167 ₱10.6K

157.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$259 ₱16.5K

730.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$352 ₱22.5K

271.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,416 ₱154.4K

136.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,119 ₱71.5K

218.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$134 ₱8,587

336.75%

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 Olongapo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Olongapo

$167 24% 61.1% $262

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Olongapo

$155 22.3% 31.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Olongapo

$165 23.8% 16.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Olongapo

$78 11.2% 38% $48

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Olongapo

$74 10.6% 39.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Olongapo

$40 5.8% 40.8% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Olongapo

$16 2.3% 74.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $251 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Olongapo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $155 per month, with Olongapo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Olongapo

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

233,040

💱 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 Olongapo 85 km

From you

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 Olongapo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay in Makati is about 4.4 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: $829 in Makati versus $251 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $694 in Olongapo – Olongapo is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Olongapo runs roughly 77% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $694 in Olongapo versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Olongapo but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Olongapo 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 Olongapo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Olongapo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.