Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and San Fernando, La Union

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union: $721 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando, La Union
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San Fernando, La Union Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

San Fernando, La Union

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in San Fernando, La Union

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 San Fernando, La Union actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $721 in San Fernando, La Union.

Makati $1,174
San Fernando, La Union $721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,102 in San Fernando, La Union.

Makati $1,962
San Fernando, La Union $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,484 in San Fernando, La Union.

Makati $2,750
San Fernando, La Union $1,484

Living in Makati is roughly 63% more expensive than in San Fernando, La Union, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, San Fernando, La Union 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$3.97 ₱253

18.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,676

$16.71 ₱1,062

57.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$2.69 ₱171

49.07%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$2.14 ₱136

14.95%

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

$1.05 ₱66.9

$0.69 ₱43.67

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.55

$0.33 ₱21.23

78.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.19 ₱75.4

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.06 ₱131

16.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.65 ₱105

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$1.09 ₱69.6

2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.6

$0.89 ₱56.7

11.24%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱140

$1.90 ₱121

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱478

$5.52 ₱351

36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$4.09 ₱260

13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱446

$7.11 ₱452

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.39 ₱152

35.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.57 ₱99.6

21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.33 ₱148

18.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.2

$1.17 ₱74.6

-24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.5

$2.06 ₱131

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$2.30 ₱146

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.08 ₱68.8

73.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱37.03

$0.53 ₱33.65

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱193

$2.82 ₱180

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱615

$7.54 ₱479

28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.7

$0.99 ₱62.9

26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.93 ₱122

4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.51

$0.22 ₱13.92

245.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,668

$12.52 ₱796

360.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.80

$0.80 ₱51.0

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.71

$0.20 ₱12.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.91 ₱122

2.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.8

$1.03 ₱65.7

21.36%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.60%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-0.61%

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

$111 ₱7,047

$119 ₱7,589

-7.13%

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

$16.82 ₱1,070

$15.64 ₱994

7.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,526

$23.84 ₱1,515

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,599

$31.64 ₱2,012

78.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱899

$5.16 ₱328

174.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱401

$5.22 ₱332

20.88%

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

$619 ₱39.4K

$130 ₱8,240

377.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱332.6K

$7,895 ₱501.9K

-33.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,523

$33.12 ₱2,106

67.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,991

$19.07 ₱1,213

64.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,451

$69.2 ₱4,402

1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,678

$55.4 ₱3,520

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.1K

$251 ₱16.0K

226.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$167 ₱10.6K

196.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱158.2K

$490 ₱31.1K

407.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.3K

$350 ₱22.3K

269.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱356.5K

$2,657 ₱168.9K

111.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱226.2K

$1,125 ₱71.5K

216.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

1.16%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

San Fernando, La Union

$167 23.2% 66.2% $328

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

San Fernando, La Union

$179 24.8% 12% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

San Fernando, La Union

$159 22% 4.7% $7.2

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11.1% 17.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

San Fernando, La Union

$80 11% 17.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

San Fernando, La Union

$42 5.8% 39.2% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

San Fernando, La Union

$15 2.1% 75.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $251 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $17 in San Fernando, La Union for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $179 per month, with San Fernando, La Union cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 San Fernando, La Union

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

83,003

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Makati San Fernando, La Union 240 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 San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando, La Union wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Fernando, La Union the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,761 in Makati and $1,082 in San Fernando, La Union to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $820 in Makati versus $251 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,174 per month in Makati versus $721 in San Fernando, La Union – San Fernando, La Union is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

At $721 in San Fernando, La Union versus $1,174 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Fernando, La Union but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando, La Union 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 San Fernando, La Union are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find San Fernando, La Union gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.