Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Panglao

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $795 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
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Panglao Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Panglao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $795 in Panglao.

Makati $1,174
Panglao $795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,113 in Panglao.

Makati $1,962
Panglao $1,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,431 in Panglao.

Makati $2,750
Panglao $1,431

Living in Makati is roughly 48% more expensive than in Panglao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, Panglao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱298

$3.89 ₱245

21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,660

$23.45 ₱1,476

12.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱253

$3.93 ₱247

2.04%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$2.14 ₱135

14.95%

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

$1.05 ₱66.2

$0.69 ₱43.44

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.18

$0.47 ₱29.59

25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.1

$1.54 ₱96.8

-24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱152

$1.84 ₱116

30.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.58 ₱99.4

17.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.09 ₱68.8

2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$0.92 ₱58.0

7.61%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱138

$1.69 ₱106

30.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱473

$4.73 ₱298

58.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱291

$4.52 ₱284

2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱442

$7.65 ₱482

-8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱203

$1.90 ₱120

70.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.31 ₱82.7

45.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱174

$1.94 ₱122

42.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.6

$1.49 ₱94.0

-40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$2.30 ₱145

-42.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱86.8

$1.89 ₱119

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.07 ₱67.3

74.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.67

$0.46 ₱28.65

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱191

$2.89 ₱182

4.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱609

$5.73 ₱361

68.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.9

$0.80 ₱50.1

56.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.55 ₱97.4

29.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.04

$0.22 ₱13.79

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,632

$12.47 ₱785

362.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.34

$0.74 ₱46.40

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.59

$0.22 ₱13.88

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.85 ₱117

5.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.0

$0.94 ₱59.2

32.98%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-0.64%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-1.00%

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

$111 ₱6,979

$58.2 ₱3,666

90.35%

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

$16.82 ₱1,059

$6.53 ₱411

157.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,511

$23.87 ₱1,503

0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,564

$20.83 ₱1,312

171.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$5.16 ₱325

174.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱397

$3.92 ₱247

60.97%

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

$619 ₱39.0K

$132 ₱8,317

368.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱329.4K

$7,973 ₱502.0K

-34.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,489

$32.20 ₱2,027

72.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,972

$19.54 ₱1,231

60.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,408

$66.0 ₱4,155

6.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,642

$46.55 ₱2,931

24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱51.6K

$279 ₱17.6K

194.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.1K

$336 ₱21.2K

47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱156.6K

$541 ₱34.1K

359.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱81.5K

$396 ₱25.0K

226.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱353.1K

$933 ₱58.7K

501.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱224.0K

$1,091 ₱68.7K

226.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-2.78%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panglao: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Panglao

$336 42.2% 32.1% $159

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Panglao

$168 21.2% 17.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Panglao

$89 11.1% 41.6% $63

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Panglao

$85 10.6% 12.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Panglao

$74 9.3% 23.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Panglao

$29 3.6% 58.6% $41

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Panglao

$15 1.9% 75.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $279 in Panglao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $23 in Panglao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $168 per month, with Panglao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Panglao

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

39,839

💱 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 Panglao 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Panglao

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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panglao wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Panglao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,761 in Makati and $1,193 in Panglao 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 $279 in Panglao. 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 $795 in Panglao – Panglao is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Panglao runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 Panglao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Panglao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.