Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and San Pablo

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pablo: $606 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in San Pablo
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San Pablo Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

San Pablo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in San Pablo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $606 in San Pablo.

Makati $1,174
San Pablo $606

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $914 in San Pablo.

Makati $1,962
San Pablo $914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,222 in San Pablo.

Makati $2,750
San Pablo $1,222

Living in Makati is roughly 94% more expensive than in San Pablo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, San Pablo 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$3.14 ₱199

50.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,673

$23.81 ₱1,511

10.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$2.84 ₱180

41.20%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.70 ₱108

44.71%

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

$1.05 ₱66.7

$0.38 ₱23.88

176.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.47

$0.14 ₱8.67

321.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.6

$1.09 ₱69.2

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.95 ₱124

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.76 ₱112

5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.2

$0.80 ₱50.8

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$0.91 ₱58.0

8.79%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.90 ₱121

15.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱477

$4.80 ₱304

56.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$3.20 ₱203

44.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$7.38 ₱468

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.47 ₱156

30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.38 ₱87.8

37.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$1.62 ₱103

70.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.86 ₱54.5

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.3

$1.40 ₱89.1

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.4

$1.32 ₱83.6

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.61 ₱38.76

206.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.95

$0.33 ₱20.86

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.68 ₱170

13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱614

$6.21 ₱394

55.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.21 ₱76.7

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.47 ₱157

-18.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.41

$0.25 ₱15.97

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,660

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.70

$1.04 ₱66.1

-27.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.68

$0.20 ₱12.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.84 ₱117

6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.6

$1.26 ₱79.8

-0.79%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.88%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.52%

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

$111 ₱7,032

$95.1 ₱6,032

16.58%

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

$16.82 ₱1,067

$11.78 ₱747

42.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,523

$30.85 ₱1,957

-22.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,591

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$4.82 ₱306

30.91%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.9K

$13.6K ₱864.1K

-61.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,515

$49.04 ₱3,111

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,987

$36.87 ₱2,339

-15.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,441

$70.9 ₱4,498

-1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,670

$79.2 ₱5,026

-26.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$143 ₱9,076

473.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$126 ₱8,012

291.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.8K

$207 ₱13.1K

1102.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.1K

$192 ₱12.2K

574.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.8K

$958 ₱60.8K

485.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.7K

$780 ₱49.5K

356.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

$283 ₱17.9K

85.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Pablo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

San Pablo

$126 20.9% 74.5% $368

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

San Pablo

$157 26% 22.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

San Pablo

$138 22.7% 9.2% $14

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

San Pablo

$65 10.8% 32.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

San Pablo

$106 17.5% 10% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

San Pablo

$9.6 * 1.6% 86.1% $60

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

San Pablo

$3.1 * 0.5% 95.1% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $143 in San Pablo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 85% 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: $26 in Makati vs $24 in San Pablo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $157 per month, with San Pablo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 San Pablo

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

266,068

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Makati San Pablo 63 km

From you

Makati
San Pablo

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 Pablo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pablo wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Pablo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 85% 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: $820 in Makati versus $143 in San Pablo. 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 $606 in San Pablo – San Pablo is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Pablo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – San Pablo wins on affordability, Makati on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.