Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Sorsogon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sorsogon City: $735 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Sorsogon City
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Sorsogon City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Sorsogon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Sorsogon City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $735 in Sorsogon City.

Makati $1,228
Sorsogon City $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,140 in Sorsogon City.

Makati $2,028
Sorsogon City $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $1,545 in Sorsogon City.

Makati $2,828
Sorsogon City $1,545

Living in Makati is roughly 67% more expensive than in Sorsogon City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Sorsogon City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$3.93 ₱247

58.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$16.79 ₱1,057

135.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$2.72 ₱171

79.41%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.28 ₱143

11.84%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.66 ₱41.37

60.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.33 ₱21.07

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.21 ₱75.9

96.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$1.99 ₱125

61.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.67 ₱105

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.09 ₱68.8

18.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.95 ₱60.0

11.58%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$1.87 ₱118

32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$5.12 ₱323

42.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.07 ₱257

19.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$7.24 ₱456

-2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.54 ₱160

59.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.79 ₱113

8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.48 ₱156

29.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.13 ₱71.4

102.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.26 ₱143

53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$2.15 ₱135

66.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$0.91 ₱57.5

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.54 ₱34.05

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$3.24 ₱204

-16.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$7.42 ₱467

9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.99 ₱62.1

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$1.95 ₱123

1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.25 ₱15.48

260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$9.63 ₱606

489.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.84 ₱52.8

-20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.19 ₱11.96

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.17 ₱137

-11.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.04 ₱65.6

20.19%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

6.04%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$19.8K ₱1.2M

-1.06%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$138 ₱8,683

10.80%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$14.19 ₱894

13.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$24.78 ₱1,560

30.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$32.25 ₱2,031

70.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$5.13 ₱323

175.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$5.86 ₱369

23.21%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$128 ₱8,088

518.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$7,096 ₱446.8K

3.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$30.34 ₱1,910

101.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$20.27 ₱1,277

81.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$72.7 ₱4,576

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$60.9 ₱3,837

69.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$228 ₱14.4K

257.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$157 ₱9,913

165.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$526 ₱33.1K

332.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$382 ₱24.0K

179.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$2,397 ₱150.9K

144.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$1,110 ₱69.9K

236.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.79

10.46%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sorsogon City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Sorsogon City

$157 21.4% 62.3% $260

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Sorsogon City

$180 24.5% 22.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Sorsogon City

$177 24.1% 12.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Sorsogon City

$83 11.3% 34.9% $44

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Sorsogon City

$81 11% 32.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Sorsogon City

$44 6% 36.6% $25

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Sorsogon City

$12 1.7% 80% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $228 in Sorsogon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $17.00 in Sorsogon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $180 per month, with Sorsogon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Sorsogon City

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

168,110

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Makati Sorsogon City 370 km

From you

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 Sorsogon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sorsogon City wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sorsogon City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,842 in Makati and $1,102 in Sorsogon City 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: $815 in Makati versus $228 in Sorsogon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $735 in Sorsogon City – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sorsogon City runs roughly 490% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $735 in Sorsogon City versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sorsogon City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Sorsogon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sorsogon City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $735 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sorsogon City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Sorsogon City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sorsogon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.