Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Quezon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Quezon City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $860 in Quezon City.

Makati $1,228
Quezon City $860

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,372 in Quezon City.

Makati $2,028
Quezon City $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $1,885 in Quezon City.

Makati $2,828
Quezon City $1,885

Living in Makati is roughly 43% more expensive than in Quezon City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Quezon City 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$4.48 ₱282

38.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$18.90 ₱1,190

109.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$2.84 ₱179

71.83%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.79 ₱175

-8.60%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.75 ₱47.41

41.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.27 ₱16.78

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.45 ₱91.6

64.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$2.83 ₱178

13.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.68 ₱106

13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.14 ₱71.6

13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.84 ₱53.0

26.19%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$1.75 ₱110

41.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$6.69 ₱421

8.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.24 ₱267

14.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$7.23 ₱455

-2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$3.96 ₱250

2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.36 ₱85.7

42.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$3.46 ₱218

-6.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.13 ₱71.3

102.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.35 ₱148

48.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$3.32 ₱209

8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.42 ₱89.7

-25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.97 ₱61.2

14.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$2.82 ₱178

-4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$7.73 ₱487

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.33 ₱83.8

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$1.79 ₱113

10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.36 ₱22.92

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$19.25 ₱1,212

194.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.77 ₱48.63

-12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.21 ₱13.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.57 ₱162

-24.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.18 ₱74.6

5.93%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-0.89%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

2.38%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$163 ₱10.2K

-6.08%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$14.34 ₱903

11.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$24.17 ₱1,522

33.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$38.36 ₱2,415

43.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$3.30 ₱207

328.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$7.01 ₱441

3.00%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$71.8 ₱4,522

1006.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$2,491 ₱156.8K

193.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$35.65 ₱2,245

71.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$22.77 ₱1,433

61.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$77.8 ₱4,898

4.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$77.0 ₱4,850

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$312 ₱19.7K

160.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$187 ₱11.8K

123.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$746 ₱47.0K

204.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$537 ₱33.8K

99.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$2,370 ₱149.2K

147.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$1,425 ₱89.7K

162.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$429 ₱27.0K

40.17%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Quezon City

$187 21.8% 55.2% $230

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Quezon City

$206 24% 11.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Quezon City

$201 23.4% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Quezon City

$96 11.2% 24.6% $31

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Quezon City

$95 11% 20.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Quezon City

$52 6.1% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Quezon City

$23 2.6% 63.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $312 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 40% 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 $19.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $206 per month, with Quezon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

2,936,116

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Makati Quezon City 11 km

From you

Makati
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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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 40% 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 $312 in Quezon City. 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 $860 in Quezon City – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 195% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $860 in Quezon City versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quezon City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $860 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quezon City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Quezon City 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 Quezon City 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.