Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Makati $1,230
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $978 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Makati $2,137
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,315 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Makati $3,044
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315

Living in Makati is roughly 92% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱407

$4.60 ₱293

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,449

$14.04 ₱894

173.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$5.13 ₱327

-6.82%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.21 ₱141

17.19%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.68 ₱43.04

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.29

$0.33 ₱21.32

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.39 ₱88.6

71.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$2.01 ₱128

58.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.58 ₱100

13.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.09 ₱69.5

15.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.6

$0.85 ₱54.1

21.18%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.93 ₱123

22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$4.86 ₱310

42.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$3.99 ₱254

23.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱429

$7.56 ₱481

-10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.13 ₱136

93.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.73 ₱110

9.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.54 ₱162

25.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.15 ₱73.3

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$2.21 ₱141

60.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.08 ₱133

68.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$0.92 ₱58.6

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.61 ₱38.57

85.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.84 ₱181

-8.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$7.35 ₱468

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.92 ₱58.8

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.83 ₱117

5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.18 ₱11.78

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,583

$12.86 ₱819

337.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.46

$0.80 ₱51.3

-18.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.21 ₱13.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.85 ₱118

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.03 ₱65.8

24.27%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

8.73%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

-5.50%

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

$151 ₱9,639

$135 ₱8,578

12.36%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$14.33 ₱913

8.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$16.57 ₱1,055

89.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,393

$30.08 ₱1,916

77.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱894

$5.28 ₱337

165.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$5.23 ₱333

38.05%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$127 ₱8,078

511.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱470.7K

$7,688 ₱489.6K

-3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,814

$29.05 ₱1,850

106.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,354

$20.80 ₱1,325

77.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,161

$63.5 ₱4,046

27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,426

$46.93 ₱2,989

114.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$124 ₱7,896

568.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$77.0 ₱4,905

456.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$323 ₱20.6K

565.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.3K

$186 ₱11.9K

602.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱363.9K

$2,434 ₱155.0K

134.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.3K

$1,143 ₱72.8K

212.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.92

8.38%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12% 82% $352

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6% 22.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8% 16.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3% 42.5% $53

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6% 22.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3% 40.1% $27

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4% 74.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $177 per month, with Subic Bay Freeport Zone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

221,178

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Makati Subic Bay Freeport Zone 85 km

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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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $962 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone – Subic Bay Freeport Zone is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Subic Bay Freeport Zone runs roughly 77% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Subic Bay Freeport Zone but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Subic Bay Freeport Zone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.