Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $731 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Pagadian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $731 in Pagadian.

Makati $1,228
Pagadian $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,039 in Makati versus $1,112 in Pagadian.

Makati $2,039
Pagadian $1,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,850 in Makati versus $1,494 in Pagadian.

Makati $2,850
Pagadian $1,494

Living in Makati is roughly 68% more expensive than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Pagadian 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 ₱405

$3.97 ₱250

62.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 ₱2,511

$16.95 ₱1,067

135.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱301

$2.75 ₱173

73.82%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱163

$1.91 ₱120

35.08%

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

$1.10 ₱69.3

$0.80 ₱50.6

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.66

$0.25 ₱15.76

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₱148

$1.46 ₱92.2

60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱197

$1.99 ₱125

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.69 ₱106

12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$1.16 ₱73.1

6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.9

$0.96 ₱60.8

5.21%

Eggs

$2.36 ₱149

$1.87 ₱118

26.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 ₱442

$5.47 ₱344

28.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱310

$4.27 ₱269

15.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 ₱434

$7.29 ₱459

-5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 ₱252

$2.35 ₱148

70.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.53 ₱96.4

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ₱203

$2.41 ₱151

34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.13 ₱71.3

102.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₱228

$2.01 ₱127

80.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$1.93 ₱121

79.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱69.8

$0.92 ₱58.1

20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$0.55 ₱34.43

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 ₱168

$2.87 ₱181

-6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱497

$7.48 ₱471

5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.4

$1.01 ₱63.8

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₱128

$1.94 ₱122

5.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$0.26 ₱16.37

253.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 ₱3,539

$11.25 ₱708

399.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 ₱40.57

$0.78 ₱48.85

-17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.21 ₱13.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.88 ₱118

-1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.6

$1.03 ₱64.9

22.33%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-1.58%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.18%

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

$153 ₱9,651

$125 ₱7,875

22.55%

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

$15.87 ₱999

$15.14 ₱953

4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 ₱2,038

$24.15 ₱1,521

34.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 ₱3,430

$32.36 ₱2,037

68.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ₱902

$4.70 ₱296

204.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 ₱453

$5.07 ₱319

42.01%

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

$805 ₱50.7K

$130 ₱8,191

518.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,474 ₱470.6K

$7,984 ₱502.7K

-6.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ₱3,871

$32.64 ₱2,055

88.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 ₱2,291

$19.82 ₱1,248

83.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ₱5,112

$72.4 ₱4,556

12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₱6,604

$55.1 ₱3,470

90.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ₱51.1K

$266 ₱16.7K

205.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$171 ₱10.7K

144.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 ₱145.4K

$516 ₱32.5K

347.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 ₱68.6K

$354 ₱22.3K

207.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,032 ₱379.8K

$2,381 ₱149.9K

153.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,693 ₱232.5K

$997 ₱62.8K

270.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 ₱38.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.79

10.46%

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

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Pagadian

$171 23.3% 59.1% $247

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Pagadian

$180 24.6% 21.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$202 16.4%

Pagadian

$164 22.5% 18.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$128 10.4%

Pagadian

$81 11.1% 36.6% $47

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Pagadian

$78 10.7% 35.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Pagadian

$43 5.8% 38.3% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 77.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Makati and $266 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $180 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

199,060

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Pagadian 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pagadian wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pagadian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,842 in Makati and $1,096 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $811 in Makati versus $266 in Pagadian. 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 $731 in Pagadian – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pagadian runs roughly 400% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $731 in Pagadian versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pagadian delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pagadian hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.