Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and San Jose del Monte

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $731 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in San Jose del Monte
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San Jose del Monte Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

San Jose del Monte

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in San Jose del Monte

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 Jose del Monte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $731 in San Jose del Monte.

Makati $1,230
San Jose del Monte $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,096 in San Jose del Monte.

Makati $2,137
San Jose del Monte $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,461 in San Jose del Monte.

Makati $3,044
San Jose del Monte $1,461

Living in Makati is roughly 68% more expensive than in San Jose del Monte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, San Jose del Monte 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$3.94 ₱252

62.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$16.34 ₱1,044

135.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.73 ₱174

75.09%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$1.74 ₱111

48.85%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.56 ₱35.61

94.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.31 ₱19.71

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$0.94 ₱59.8

154.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.60 ₱102

98.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.64 ₱105

9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.14 ₱72.8

10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.94 ₱59.9

9.57%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.02 ₱129

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.07 ₱324

36.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.28 ₱210

50.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$6.92 ₱442

-2.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.27 ₱145

81.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.57 ₱100

21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.37 ₱152

34.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.02 ₱64.9

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$1.70 ₱109

108.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.69 ₱108

107.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$0.65 ₱41.24

64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.48 ₱30.52

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.86 ₱183

-9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$8.81 ₱563

-10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$0.94 ₱60.1

37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.96 ₱126

-1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.21 ₱13.69

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$12.48 ₱797

350.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.75 ₱48.17

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.23 ₱14.73

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.91 ₱122

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.22 ₱78.2

4.92%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-0.27%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

0.93%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$122 ₱7,788

24.15%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$15.32 ₱979

1.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$23.05 ₱1,472

36.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$35.72 ₱2,282

49.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$5.50 ₱351

155.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$5.22 ₱334

38.31%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$129 ₱8,244

501.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$8,762 ₱559.8K

-15.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$28.74 ₱1,836

108.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$18.98 ₱1,213

94.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$70.5 ₱4,502

15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$53.7 ₱3,428

88.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$230 ₱14.7K

259.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$189 ₱12.1K

126.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$437 ₱27.9K

392.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$361 ₱23.1K

261.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,325 ₱148.6K

145.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,217 ₱77.8K

193.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

San Jose del Monte

$189 25.9% 55.9% $239

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

San Jose del Monte

$170 23.3% 25% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

San Jose del Monte

$160 21.9% 19.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

San Jose del Monte

$77 10.6% 38.4% $48

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

San Jose del Monte

$72 9.9% 40.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

San Jose del Monte

$46 6.3% 31.8% $22

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

San Jose del Monte

$15 2.1% 75.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $230 in San Jose del Monte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in San Jose del Monte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $170 per month, with San Jose del Monte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

651,813

💱 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

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Makati San Jose del Monte 28 km

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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 Jose del Monte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose del Monte wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose del Monte the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $1,096 in San Jose del Monte 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: $829 in Makati versus $230 in San Jose del Monte. 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 $731 in San Jose del Monte – San Jose del Monte is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose del Monte runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 San Jose del Monte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.