Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Puerto Princesa

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $702 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Puerto Princesa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $702 in Puerto Princesa.

Makati $1,230
Puerto Princesa $702

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,049 in Puerto Princesa.

Makati $2,137
Puerto Princesa $1,049

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,395 in Puerto Princesa.

Makati $3,044
Puerto Princesa $1,395

Living in Makati is roughly 75% more expensive than in Puerto Princesa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Puerto Princesa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱405

$4.34 ₱275

47.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,437

$16.69 ₱1,058

130.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱303

$4.39 ₱278

8.88%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱164

$2.25 ₱142

15.11%

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

$1.09 ₱69.4

$0.82 ₱52.2

32.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.14

$0.53 ₱33.78

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.22 ₱77.1

95.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱201

$2.34 ₱148

35.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.69 ₱107

6.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.2

$0.94 ₱59.4

34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.3

$0.76 ₱48.42

35.53%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱150

$1.67 ₱106

41.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱438

$5.53 ₱350

24.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱313

$5.70 ₱361

-13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱427

$6.62 ₱419

1.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱261

$2.36 ₱150

74.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$0.91 ₱57.5

108.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱202

$2.42 ₱154

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$1.12 ₱70.8

100.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱225

$1.47 ₱93.3

141.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱222

$1.34 ₱84.9

161.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.5

$0.90 ₱57.2

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$0.67 ₱42.40

68.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.92 ₱185

-10.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱498

$7.30 ₱462

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱81.9

$1.05 ₱66.8

22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.35 ₱85.5

42.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.26 ₱16.55

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,566

$11.24 ₱712

400.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.26

$0.78 ₱49.72

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.27

$0.23 ₱14.59

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.94 ₱123

-2.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.0

$1.05 ₱66.6

21.90%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$16.7K ₱1.1M

24.54%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.60%

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

$151 ₱9,592

$61.2 ₱3,878

147.33%

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

$15.59 ₱988

$10.89 ₱690

43.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,989

$24.59 ₱1,559

27.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,376

$31.78 ₱2,014

67.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱890

$4.54 ₱288

209.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱458

$5.20 ₱330

38.85%

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

$776 ₱49.2K

$130 ₱8,246

496.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱468.5K

$8,036 ₱509.3K

-8.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,795

$32.61 ₱2,067

83.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,343

$19.40 ₱1,230

90.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,136

$72.1 ₱4,567

12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,395

$56.5 ₱3,581

78.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.5K

$283 ₱17.9K

193.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.2K

$202 ₱12.8K

111.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱136.3K

$524 ₱33.2K

310.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱82.9K

$319 ₱20.2K

309.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱362.2K

$2,416 ₱153.1K

136.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱226.2K

$1,128 ₱71.5K

216.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.2K

$220 ₱14.0K

166.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.12

-7.64%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Puerto Princesa

$202 28.8% 52.8% $226

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Puerto Princesa

$175 24.9% 23.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Puerto Princesa

$97 13.8% 51.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Puerto Princesa

$81 11.6% 35.2% $44

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Puerto Princesa

$91 13% 25% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Puerto Princesa

$42 6% 37.7% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Puerto Princesa

$14 2% 76.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $283 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $17 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $175 per month, with Puerto Princesa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

307,079

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Makati Puerto Princesa 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Puerto Princesa

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 Puerto Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Princesa wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Puerto Princesa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.7 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 $283 in Puerto Princesa. 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 $702 in Puerto Princesa – Puerto Princesa is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Princesa runs roughly 80% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $702 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Princesa delivers better value at $702 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Princesa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Puerto Princesa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Puerto Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.