Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Pampanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Pampanga: $848 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Pampanga
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Pampanga Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Pampanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Pampanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $848 in Pampanga.

Makati $1,174
Pampanga $848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,275 in Pampanga.

Makati $1,962
Pampanga $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,703 in Pampanga.

Makati $2,750
Pampanga $1,703

Living in Makati is roughly 38% more expensive than in Pampanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, Pampanga 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$4.05 ₱258

16.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,676

$19.99 ₱1,271

31.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$2.84 ₱181

41.20%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$2.38 ₱151

3.36%

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

$1.05 ₱66.9

$0.68 ₱43.01

54.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.55

$0.42 ₱27.01

40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.10 ₱70.2

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.20 ₱140

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.71 ₱109

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$1.10 ₱70.2

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.6

$0.93 ₱59.2

6.45%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱140

$1.94 ₱123

13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱478

$4.23 ₱269

77.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$4.02 ₱256

15.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱446

$7.38 ₱469

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.15 ₱136

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.72 ₱109

10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.12 ₱135

30.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.2

$0.98 ₱62.1

-10.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.5

$1.52 ₱96.6

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$1.57 ₱99.6

-12.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.79 ₱50.0

136.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱37.03

$0.51 ₱32.12

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱193

$3.14 ₱200

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱615

$6.75 ₱429

43.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.7

$1.07 ₱68.0

16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.99 ₱126

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.51

$0.25 ₱15.64

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,668

$13.35 ₱849

332.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.80

$0.79 ₱50.1

-5.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.71

$0.20 ₱12.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.75 ₱111

12.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.8

$1.26 ₱80.2

-0.79%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.65%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.48%

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

$111 ₱7,047

$111 ₱7,045

0.03%

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

$16.82 ₱1,070

$15.45 ₱982

8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,526

$25.91 ₱1,647

-7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,599

$33.85 ₱2,152

67.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱899

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱401

$4.36 ₱277

44.72%

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

$619 ₱39.4K

$255 ₱16.2K

142.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱332.6K

$8,918 ₱567.0K

-41.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,523

$50.3 ₱3,197

10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,991

$28.26 ₱1,797

10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,451

$76.3 ₱4,850

-8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,678

$59.3 ₱3,769

-2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.1K

$424 ₱27.0K

93.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$289 ₱18.3K

71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱158.2K

$740 ₱47.0K

236.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.3K

$540 ₱34.3K

139.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱356.5K

$3,976 ₱252.8K

41.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱226.2K

$2,484 ₱157.9K

43.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.3K

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 Pampanga: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Pampanga

$289 34% 41.7% $206

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Pampanga

$169 19.9% 16.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Pampanga

$152 17.9% 0.3% $0.5

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Pampanga

$84 9.9% 13.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Pampanga

$96 11.4% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Pampanga

$43 5% 38.5% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Pampanga

$16 1.9% 74.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $424 in Pampanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $20 in Pampanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $169 per month, with Pampanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Pampanga

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

15,616

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Pampanga 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Pampanga

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 Pampanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pampanga wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pampanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,761 in Makati and $1,272 in Pampanga 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: $820 in Makati versus $424 in Pampanga. 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 $848 in Pampanga – Pampanga is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Pampanga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Pampanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.