Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Polomolok

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $612 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Polomolok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $612 in Polomolok.

Makati $1,230
Polomolok $612

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $966 in Polomolok.

Makati $2,137
Polomolok $966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,321 in Polomolok.

Makati $3,044
Polomolok $1,321

Living in Makati is roughly 101% more expensive than in Polomolok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Polomolok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$1.53 ₱97.6

318.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$16.22 ₱1,036

137.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.06 ₱131

132.04%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.12 ₱135

22.17%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.37 ₱23.73

194.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.66 ₱42.33

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.14 ₱72.5

109.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.12 ₱136

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.58 ₱101

13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$0.89 ₱56.8

41.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.64 ₱40.93

60.94%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.92 ₱123

23.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$6.35 ₱405

8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$2.72 ₱174

81.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$5.61 ₱358

20.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.52 ₱161

63.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$0.57 ₱36.13

233.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.42 ₱154

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$0.76 ₱48.46

196.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.15 ₱73.5

208.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.78 ₱178

25.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.81 ₱51.5

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.66 ₱42.05

71.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.45 ₱156

6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$7.06 ₱451

11.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.92 ₱58.5

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.52 ₱97.2

26.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.22 ₱14.31

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$12.59 ₱804

346.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.82 ₱52.3

-20.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.22 ₱14.05

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.92 ₱122

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$0.85 ₱54.3

50.59%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$15.4K ₱985.8K

34.82%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$17.1K ₱1.1M

10.25%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$50.4 ₱3,219

200.40%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$18.88 ₱1,207

-17.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$26.19 ₱1,673

19.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$31.17 ₱1,992

70.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$5.26 ₱336

166.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$3.93 ₱251

83.72%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$106 ₱6,744

635.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$1,346 ₱86.0K

449.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$32.46 ₱2,074

84.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$18.92 ₱1,209

95.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$62.7 ₱4,006

29.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$61.6 ₱3,936

63.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$254 ₱16.2K

226.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$169 ₱10.8K

153.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$558 ₱35.7K

285.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$359 ₱22.9K

264.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,598 ₱166.0K

119.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,128 ₱72.1K

216.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$233 ₱14.9K

151.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

25.00%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Polomolok

$169 27.7% 60.5% $259

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Polomolok

$156 25.5% 31.5% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Polomolok

$95 15.6% 51.9% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Polomolok

$79 12.9% 37% $46

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Polomolok

$58 9.5% 52.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Polomolok

$39 6.4% 42.4% $29

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Polomolok

$15 2.5% 75% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $254 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $156 per month, with Polomolok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

172,605

💱 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 Polomolok 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Polomolok

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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polomolok wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Polomolok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.5 times higher, 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 $254 in Polomolok. 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 $612 in Polomolok – Polomolok is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Polomolok runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $612 in Polomolok versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Polomolok but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Polomolok 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.

Expats usually find Polomolok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.