Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Santa Rosa, Philippines

Name: Santa Rosa
Address: Santa Rosa, PH

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $614 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Santa Rosa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $614 in Santa Rosa.

Makati $1,230
Santa Rosa $614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $873 in Santa Rosa.

Makati $2,137
Santa Rosa $873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,131 in Santa Rosa.

Makati $3,044
Santa Rosa $1,131

Living in Makati is roughly 100% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Santa Rosa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱405

$2.47 ₱156

159.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,437

$16.32 ₱1,034

135.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱303

$2.76 ₱175

73.19%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱164

$1.12 ₱70.7

131.25%

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

$1.09 ₱69.4

$0.36 ₱22.58

202.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.14

$0.22 ₱13.85

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.00 ₱63.3

139.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱201

$1.26 ₱80.1

152.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱114

$1.60 ₱101

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.2

$1.15 ₱73.0

9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.3

$0.99 ₱63.1

4.04%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱150

$1.53 ₱96.9

54.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱438

$5.10 ₱323

35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱313

$3.42 ₱217

44.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱427

$7.75 ₱491

-13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱261

$2.18 ₱138

88.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$0.80 ₱50.8

137.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱202

$2.27 ₱144

40.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$1.00 ₱63.5

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱225

$1.71 ₱108

107.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱222

$1.73 ₱110

102.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.5

$0.64 ₱40.65

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$0.48 ₱30.13

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.80 ₱178

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱498

$8.75 ₱555

-10.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱81.9

$0.95 ₱60.5

35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.03 ₱128

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.21 ₱13.17

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,566

$13.39 ₱849

320.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.26

$0.81 ₱51.2

-19.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.27

$0.24 ₱15.23

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.92 ₱122

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.0

$1.02 ₱64.7

25.49%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-2.01%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-1.52%

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

$151 ₱9,592

$62.5 ₱3,958

142.34%

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

$15.59 ₱988

$6.40 ₱406

143.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,989

$23.42 ₱1,484

33.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,376

$31.17 ₱1,975

70.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱890

$5.99 ₱379

134.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱458

$5.16 ₱327

39.92%

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

$776 ₱49.2K

$132 ₱8,337

489.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱468.5K

$5,549 ₱351.7K

33.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,795

$28.17 ₱1,786

112.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,343

$19.31 ₱1,224

91.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,136

$71.5 ₱4,532

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,395

$55.1 ₱3,489

83.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.5K

$255 ₱16.2K

225.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.2K

$168 ₱10.7K

154.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱136.3K

$494 ₱31.3K

335.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱82.9K

$169 ₱10.7K

674.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱362.2K

$2,457 ₱155.7K

132.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱226.2K

$1,162 ₱73.6K

207.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.2K

$140 ₱8,862

319.88%

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 Santa Rosa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Santa Rosa

$168 27.4% 60.7% $260

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Santa Rosa

$166 27.1% 26.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Santa Rosa

$92 15% 53.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Santa Rosa

$78 12.8% 37.6% $47

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Santa Rosa

$51 8.3% 57.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Santa Rosa

$41 6.8% 38.7% $26

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Santa Rosa

$16 2.6% 73.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $255 in Santa Rosa. 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: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $166 per month, with Santa Rosa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

414,812

💱 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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Makati Santa Rosa 29 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 Santa Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Rosa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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.

Rent for a central apartment: $829 in Makati versus $255 in Santa Rosa. 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 $614 in Santa Rosa – Santa Rosa is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Rosa runs roughly 76% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $614 in Santa Rosa versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Santa Rosa but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Santa Rosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.