Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Makati and in Phuket: $1,228 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Makati $1,228
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Makati $2,028
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Makati $2,828
Phuket $2,867

Living in Makati is roughly 2% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$4.58 ฿153

35.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$32.48 ฿1,086

21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$8.55 ฿286

-42.92%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.72 ฿91.0

-6.25%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.94 ฿31.25

12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.49 ฿16.39

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.59 ฿86.6

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$3.83 ฿128

-16.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.74 ฿58.1

9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.43 ฿47.82

-9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.53 ฿51.0

-30.72%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.17 ฿72.7

13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$19.15 ฿640

-61.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$3.30 ฿110

47.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$11.14 ฿372

-36.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.95 ฿98.5

36.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.68 ฿56.1

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.30 ฿76.8

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$2.13 ฿71.3

7.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.53 ฿51.1

127.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.36 ฿45.55

163.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.12 ฿37.44

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.55 ฿18.24

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$4.26 ฿142

-36.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$18.19 ฿608

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.74 ฿58.2

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.79 ฿93.3

-29.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$2.22 ฿74.1

-59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$22.06 ฿737

157.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$2.91 ฿97.3

-76.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$1.01 ฿33.79

-79.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$3.83 ฿128

-49.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.49 ฿49.85

-16.11%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-20.32%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-26.76%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$99.4 ฿3,321

53.77%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$11.28 ฿377

42.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$17.36 ฿580

86.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$52.3 ฿1,747

4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$10.85 ฿362

30.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$7.57 ฿253

-4.62%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$558 ฿18.7K

42.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-36.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$62.9 ฿2,102

-2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$28.58 ฿955

28.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$96.1 ฿3,213

-15.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$88.1 ฿2,943

17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$729 ฿24.4K

11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

8.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-12.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

69.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

50.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$493 ฿16.5K

21.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.57

34.65%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 10.2% $43

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 15.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 36.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 2.5% $3.2

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 1.5% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 2.7% $1.9

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 37.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 22% 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: $40.00 in Makati vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $268, with Makati cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

1 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Phuket 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $815 in Makati versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 157% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.