Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Paranaque City

For one person, living is cheaper in Paranaque City: $779 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Paranaque City
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Paranaque City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Paranaque City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Paranaque City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $779 in Paranaque City.

Makati $1,230
Paranaque City $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,171 in Paranaque City.

Makati $2,137
Paranaque City $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,562 in Paranaque City.

Makati $3,044
Paranaque City $1,562

Living in Makati is roughly 58% more expensive than in Paranaque City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱406

$4.28 ₱272

49.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,442

$16.28 ₱1,034

136.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱304

$2.80 ₱178

70.71%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.02 ₱128

28.22%

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

$1.09 ₱69.5

$0.68 ₱43.02

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.20

$0.31 ₱19.63

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.06 ₱67.2

125.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$2.78 ₱177

14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.67 ₱106

7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.3

$1.10 ₱70.2

14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.5

$0.96 ₱60.9

7.29%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱150

$2.07 ₱131

14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱439

$5.10 ₱324

35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱313

$4.01 ₱255

22.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱428

$7.64 ₱485

-11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱261

$3.98 ₱253

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.57 ₱99.5

21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱202

$3.42 ₱217

-6.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.11 ₱70.3

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱225

$1.66 ₱105

113.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱222

$1.79 ₱114

95.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.7

$0.90 ₱56.9

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.5

$0.49 ₱30.91

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.82 ₱179

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱499

$7.38 ₱469

6.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.1

$0.96 ₱60.7

34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.05 ₱130

-5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.1

$0.22 ₱13.71

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,573

$10.92 ₱694

415.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.34

$0.77 ₱48.68

-15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.29

$0.23 ₱14.63

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.1

$1.22 ₱77.2

4.92%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.97%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.51%

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

$151 ₱9,611

$138 ₱8,776

9.51%

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

$15.59 ₱990

$14.32 ₱910

8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,993

$24.17 ₱1,535

29.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,383

$35.84 ₱2,276

48.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱892

$5.36 ₱340

161.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱458

$6.70 ₱426

7.76%

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

$776 ₱49.3K

$71.7 ₱4,551

982.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱469.4K

$6,272 ₱398.3K

17.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,803

$35.85 ₱2,277

67.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,347

$18.79 ₱1,194

96.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,146

$69.5 ₱4,411

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,407

$75.1 ₱4,766

34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.6K

$215 ₱13.6K

285.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.2K

$180 ₱11.4K

138.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱136.6K

$546 ₱34.7K

293.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.1K

$350 ₱22.2K

274.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱362.9K

$1,105 ₱70.2K

417.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱226.6K

$414 ₱26.3K

762.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.3K

$487 ₱30.9K

20.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.14%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Paranaque City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Paranaque City

$180 23.1% 58% $248

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Paranaque City

$188 24.2% 17.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Paranaque City

$177 22.7% 10.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Paranaque City

$90 11.5% 28.6% $36

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Paranaque City

$82 10.5% 32.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Paranaque City

$49 6.3% 27.3% $18

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Paranaque City

$14 1.8% 77.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $215 in Paranaque City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Paranaque City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $188 per month, with Paranaque City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Paranaque City

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

703,245

💱 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 Paranaque City 11 km

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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 Paranaque City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 21% higher in Makati, 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 $215 in Paranaque City. 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 $779 in Paranaque City – Paranaque City is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Paranaque City runs roughly 81% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $779 in Paranaque City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Paranaque City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Paranaque City 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 Paranaque City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Paranaque City 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.