Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Pangasinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangasinan: $778 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Pangasinan
Learn more

Pangasinan Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Pangasinan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Pangasinan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $778 in Pangasinan.

Makati $1,230
Pangasinan $778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,151 in Pangasinan.

Makati $2,137
Pangasinan $1,151

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,523 in Pangasinan.

Makati $3,044
Pangasinan $1,523

Living in Makati is roughly 58% more expensive than in Pangasinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Pangasinan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$1.19 ₱75.9

437.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,453

$13.19 ₱842

191.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$3.96 ₱252

20.71%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.63 ₱168

-1.52%

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

$1.09 ₱69.8

$1.11 ₱70.8

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.35

$0.49 ₱31.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$0.82 ₱52.2

191.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$3.09 ₱197

2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.12 ₱71.3

60.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.7

$0.75 ₱48.12

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.8

$0.73 ₱46.30

41.10%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.44 ₱155

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$7.12 ₱454

-2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.70 ₱300

4.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$6.96 ₱444

-3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.31 ₱148

78.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.97 ₱126

-3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$2.28 ₱145

-1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$3.44 ₱220

3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$3.36 ₱214

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.09 ₱69.7

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.8

$0.57 ₱36.06

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.55 ₱163

1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱501

$8.00 ₱510

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.5

$1.36 ₱87.0

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.03 ₱129

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.20 ₱12.94

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,590

$13.34 ₱851

321.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.54

$0.64 ₱41.03

1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.36

$0.23 ₱14.72

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.92 ₱122

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.5

$0.94 ₱59.7

36.17%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.30%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-2.26%

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

$151 ₱9,657

$154 ₱9,855

-2.01%

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

$15.59 ₱995

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,002

$32.21 ₱2,055

-2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,399

$28.13 ₱1,795

89.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱896

$5.63 ₱359

149.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$6.85 ₱437

5.40%

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

$776 ₱49.5K

$128 ₱8,169

505.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.6K

$7,285 ₱464.9K

1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,821

$32.75 ₱2,090

82.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,358

$19.52 ₱1,246

89.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,170

$79.3 ₱5,060

2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,438

$55.5 ₱3,543

81.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.9K

$245 ₱15.6K

238.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$165 ₱10.5K

160.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.2K

$447 ₱28.5K

381.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.5K

$328 ₱21.0K

298.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.6K

$2,968 ₱189.4K

92.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.7K

$1,164 ₱74.3K

206.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Pangasinan

$165 21.2% 61.6% $264

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Pangasinan

$200 25.7% 12.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Pangasinan

$202 26% 2% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Pangasinan

$84 10.8% 32.9% $41

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Pangasinan

$70 9% 42.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Pangasinan

$42 5.4% 38.2% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Pangasinan

$16 2.1% 74.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $245 in Pangasinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $13 in Pangasinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $200 per month, with Pangasinan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Pangasinan

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

3,188,540

💱 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

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Makati Pangasinan 170 km

From you

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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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pangasinan wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pangasinan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $1,167 in Pangasinan 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: $829 in Makati versus $245 in Pangasinan. 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 $778 in Pangasinan – Pangasinan is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Pangasinan runs roughly 76% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $778 in Pangasinan versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pangasinan but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.