Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Pasig

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasig: $716 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Pasig
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Pasig Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Pasig

🇵🇭 Philippines

$716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Pasig

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $716 in Pasig.

Makati $1,230
Pasig $716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,199 in Pasig.

Makati $2,137
Pasig $1,199

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,682 in Pasig.

Makati $3,044
Pasig $1,682

Living in Makati is roughly 72% more expensive than in Pasig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Pasig 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$3.88 ₱248

64.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$26.26 ₱1,678

46.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.74 ₱175

74.45%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.20 ₱140

17.73%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.65 ₱41.28

67.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.33 ₱21.09

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.14 ₱73.0

109.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.34 ₱149

35.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.69 ₱108

6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.10 ₱70.4

14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$1.00 ₱63.6

3.00%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.99 ₱127

19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.63 ₱360

22.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.41 ₱218

44.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$7.69 ₱491

-12.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$3.08 ₱197

33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.52 ₱96.9

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.83 ₱181

12.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.73 ₱111

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$2.25 ₱144

57.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.65 ₱169

32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$2.14 ₱136

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.59 ₱37.41

91.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.91 ₱186

-10.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$9.57 ₱612

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$1.30 ₱82.8

-0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$2.04 ₱130

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.48 ₱30.73

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.77 ₱49.10

-15.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.23 ₱14.74

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.93 ₱123

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.22 ₱78.2

4.92%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-2.67%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

1.09%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$119 ₱7,635

26.65%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$16.99 ₱1,085

-8.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$24.01 ₱1,534

30.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$29.49 ₱1,884

80.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$6.14 ₱393

17.59%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$131 ₱8,373

492.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$8,921 ₱570.0K

-17.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$33.15 ₱2,118

80.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$27.27 ₱1,742

35.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$69.6 ₱4,446

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$54.9 ₱3,505

83.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$323 ₱20.7K

156.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$148 ₱9,467

189.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$504 ₱32.2K

326.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$476 ₱30.4K

175.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$3,203 ₱204.6K

78.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$2,511 ₱160.4K

42.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$512 ₱32.7K

14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pasig: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Pasig

$148 20.7% 65.4% $280

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Pasig

$199 27.8% 12.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Pasig

$160 22.4% 19.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Pasig

$83 11.6% 33.7% $42

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Pasig

$80 11.2% 34.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Pasig

$42 5.8% 38.3% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Pasig

$3.9 * 0.5% 93.7% $58

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 $323 in Pasig. 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 $26 in Pasig for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $199 per month, with Pasig cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Pasig

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

803,159

💱 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

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Between locations

Makati Pasig 6 km

From you

Makati
Pasig

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 Pasig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pasig wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pasig 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 $323 in Pasig. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% 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 $716 in Pasig – Pasig is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $716 in Pasig versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pasig but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Pasig 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 Pasig are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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