Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Siargao

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Siargao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $783 in Siargao.

Makati $1,230
Siargao $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,222 in Siargao.

Makati $2,137
Siargao $1,222

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,660 in Siargao.

Makati $3,044
Siargao $1,660

Living in Makati is roughly 57% more expensive than in Siargao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Siargao 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$3.66 ₱233

74.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,450

$19.68 ₱1,254

95.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$3.32 ₱211

43.98%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.50 ₱160

3.60%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.83 ₱52.7

31.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.30

$0.40 ₱25.28

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.29 ₱81.9

85.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$2.16 ₱138

47.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.92 ₱122

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.26 ₱80.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.7

$0.93 ₱59.5

10.75%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.05 ₱131

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$8.11 ₱517

-14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$4.26 ₱272

15.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$7.51 ₱478

-10.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.90 ₱185

42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.52 ₱97.2

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.59 ₱165

23.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.57 ₱99.9

43.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$2.19 ₱140

62.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.59 ₱165

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$1.08 ₱68.6

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.72 ₱45.99

56.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.80 ₱179

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$6.94 ₱442

13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$1.16 ₱73.7

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.03 ₱129

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.26 ₱16.42

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,585

$11.37 ₱724

394.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.48

$0.78 ₱49.63

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.34

$0.24 ₱15.37

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.09 ₱133

-9.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.14 ₱72.6

12.28%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$26.6K ₱1.7M

-21.91%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

-7.05%

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

$151 ₱9,643

$112 ₱7,127

35.31%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$32.27 ₱2,056

-51.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$27.58 ₱1,757

13.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,394

$33.95 ₱2,163

56.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱895

$4.50 ₱287

212.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$5.98 ₱381

20.74%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$151 ₱9,623

413.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.0K

$4,239 ₱270.1K

74.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,816

$45.52 ₱2,901

31.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,355

$26.51 ₱1,689

39.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,163

$76.5 ₱4,871

5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,429

$54.2 ₱3,451

86.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$263 ₱16.8K

214.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$173 ₱11.0K

147.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$580 ₱37.0K

270.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.4K

$387 ₱24.6K

238.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.1K

$2,322 ₱148.0K

146.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.4K

$1,123 ₱71.5K

217.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.67

12.44%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Siargao

$173 22.1% 59.6% $255

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Siargao

$202 25.8% 11% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Siargao

$172 21.9% 13.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Siargao

$91 11.6% 27.3% $34

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Siargao

$85 10.8% 30% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Siargao

$46 5.9% 32.2% $22

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Siargao

$14 1.8% 76.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $263 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $20 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $202 per month, with Siargao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Siargao

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

150,000

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Siargao 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Siargao

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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siargao wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Siargao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $1,175 in Siargao 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 $263 in Siargao. 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 $783 in Siargao – Siargao is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Siargao runs roughly 80% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $783 in Siargao versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siargao but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Siargao 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.

Expats usually find Siargao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.