Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and San Pedro, Philippines

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro: $707 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Makati, Philippines
San Pedro, Philippines
Makati
🇵🇭 Philippines
$1,174
/mo nomad
San Pedro
🇵🇭 Philippines
$707
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $707 in San Pedro.

  • Makati $1,174
  • San Pedro $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,074 in San Pedro.

  • Makati $1,962
  • San Pedro $1,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,442 in San Pedro.

  • Makati $2,750
  • San Pedro $1,442

Living in Makati is roughly 66% more expensive than in San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, San Pedro 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.72 ₱300
$3.81 ₱242
23.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.37 ₱1,676
$16.66 ₱1,059
58.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.01 ₱255
$2.79 ₱177
43.73%
Cappuccino
$2.46 ₱156
$1.76 ₱112
39.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₱66.9
$0.55 ₱34.86
90.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₱37.55
$0.31 ₱19.70
90.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.16 ₱73.8
$1.02 ₱64.9
13.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 ₱153
$1.57 ₱100
53.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 ₱118
$1.63 ₱104
14.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 ₱71.4
$1.09 ₱69.4
2.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ₱62.6
$1.01 ₱64.4
-1.98%
Eggs
$2.20 ₱140
$1.96 ₱125
12.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.51 ₱478
$4.83 ₱307
55.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.63 ₱294
$3.41 ₱217
35.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.01 ₱446
$6.77 ₱431
3.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 ₱205
$2.24 ₱142
44.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 ₱121
$1.57 ₱99.9
21.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 ₱175
$2.26 ₱144
22.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.88 ₱56.2
$1.06 ₱67.2
-16.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 ₱84.5
$1.63 ₱104
-18.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ₱87.6
$1.77 ₱113
-22.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 ₱119
$0.94 ₱59.6
98.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₱37.03
$0.51 ₱32.49
13.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.03 ₱193
$2.90 ₱185
4.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.67 ₱615
$8.69 ₱553
11.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 ₱79.7
$0.91 ₱57.8
37.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ₱128
$1.98 ₱126
1.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 ₱48.51
$0.24 ₱15.29
216.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.7 ₱3,668
$12.33 ₱784
367.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 ₱47.80
$0.72 ₱46.09
4.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₱12.71
$0.20 ₱12.73
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.96 ₱124
$1.84 ₱117
6.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 ₱79.8
$1.18 ₱75.3
5.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ₱1.3M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
-0.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K ₱1.2M
$19.0K ₱1.2M
-0.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 ₱7,047
$121 ₱7,665
-8.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.82 ₱1,070
$15.83 ₱1,006
6.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.00 ₱1,526
$23.27 ₱1,479
3.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.6 ₱3,599
$31.50 ₱2,003
79.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.14 ₱899
$5.10 ₱324
177.25%
Cinema Ticket
$6.31 ₱401
$5.17 ₱329
22.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$619 ₱39.4K
$130 ₱8,269
376.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 ₱332.6K
$8,736 ₱555.4K
-40.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.4 ₱3,523
$28.24 ₱1,796
96.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.32 ₱1,991
$19.23 ₱1,222
62.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.0 ₱4,451
$71.6 ₱4,551
-2.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.8 ₱3,678
$55.6 ₱3,536
3.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$820 ₱52.1K
$252 ₱16.0K
225.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$495 ₱31.4K
$170 ₱10.8K
191.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,487 ₱158.2K
$484 ₱30.8K
413.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 ₱82.3K
$350 ₱22.3K
269.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,608 ₱356.5K
$2,591 ₱164.8K
116.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,558 ₱226.2K
$1,089 ₱69.2K
226.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Makati
San Pedro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 ₱33.3K
$125 ₱7,951
318.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
6.75
3.70%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Makati
$495
San Pedro
$170 65.7% $325
Groceries & Markets
Makati
$203
San Pedro
$170 16.2% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makati
$152
San Pedro
$160 5.3% $8
Eating Out
Makati
$97
San Pedro
$72 25.7% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Makati
$97
San Pedro
$79 18.6% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Makati
$69
San Pedro
$42 39.5% $27
Getting Around
Makati
$62
San Pedro
$15 76% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $252 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $17 in San Pedro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $170 per month, with San Pedro cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Makati
🇵🇭 San Pedro
🕒 Local time
09:36 9:36 AM
09:36 9:36 AM
Same time as Makati
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
582,602
326,001
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Makati San Pedro 22 km
From you
  • Makati
  • San Pedro

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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Makati or San Pedro?
San Pedro wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Pedro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Makati or in San Pedro?
Average pay in Makati is about 4.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Makati compared to San Pedro?
Rent for a central apartment: $820 in Makati versus $252 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Makati compared to San Pedro?
All in, you’ll spend $1,174 per month in Makati versus $707 in San Pedro – San Pedro is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Makati compared to San Pedro?
A monthly transit pass in San Pedro runs roughly 79% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Makati or in San Pedro?
At $707 in San Pedro versus $1,174 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Pedro but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Makati or San Pedro?
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.
How safe is Makati compared to San Pedro?
Safety-wise, Makati and San Pedro are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find San Pedro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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