Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Pasay

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $898 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
Learn more

Pasay Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Pasay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $898 in Pasay.

Makati $1,230
Pasay $898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,224 in Pasay.

Makati $2,137
Pasay $1,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,551 in Pasay.

Makati $3,044
Pasay $1,551

Living in Makati is roughly 37% more expensive than in Pasay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Pasay 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$4.39 ₱280

45.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,450

$18.79 ₱1,197

104.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.79 ₱178

71.33%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.12 ₱135

22.17%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.59 ₱37.36

84.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.30

$0.33 ₱21.24

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.15 ₱73.5

107.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$1.54 ₱98.0

106.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.63 ₱104

10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.16 ₱74.1

8.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.7

$1.02 ₱65.1

0.98%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.83 ₱117

29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$4.97 ₱316

39.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$4.23 ₱270

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$6.83 ₱435

-1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.19 ₱140

88.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.56 ₱99.5

21.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.34 ₱149

36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.11 ₱70.6

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$2.33 ₱148

52.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$3.27 ₱208

7.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$1.23 ₱78.2

-13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.85 ₱54.2

32.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.96 ₱188

-12.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$7.56 ₱482

3.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.88 ₱56.1

46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.73 ₱110

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.20 ₱12.46

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,585

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.48

$0.80 ₱51.2

-18.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.34

$0.21 ₱13.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.89 ₱120

0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.23 ₱78.4

4.07%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

0.94%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-1.94%

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

$151 ₱9,643

$139 ₱8,867

8.76%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$14.40 ₱918

8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$24.03 ₱1,531

30.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,394

$47.26 ₱3,011

12.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱895

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$4.99 ₱318

44.69%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$70.6 ₱4,499

998.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.0K

$2,430 ₱154.9K

204.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,816

$34.90 ₱2,224

71.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,355

$19.11 ₱1,218

93.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,163

$70.2 ₱4,475

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,429

$62.5 ₱3,985

61.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$427 ₱27.2K

94.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$312 ₱19.9K

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$828 ₱52.7K

159.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.4K

$366 ₱23.3K

257.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.1K

$1,864 ₱118.8K

206.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.4K

$567 ₱36.1K

529.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

$512 ₱32.6K

14.64%

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 Pasay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Pasay

$312 34.8% 27.1% $116

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Pasay

$183 20.4% 19.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Pasay

$178 19.8% 10.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Pasay

$84 9.4% 33% $41

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Pasay

$81 9.1% 32.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Pasay

$57 6.4% 15.5% $10

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Pasay

$2.6 * 0.3% 95.7% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $427 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 15% 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 $19 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $183 per month, with Pasay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Pasay

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

416,522

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Pasay 3 km

From you

Makati
Pasay

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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pasay wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pasay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $427 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $898 in Pasay – Pasay is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $898 in Pasay versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pasay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Pasay 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 Pasay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pasay wins on affordability, Makati on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.