Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Tacloban

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Tacloban

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $771 in Tacloban.

Makati $1,230
Tacloban $771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,152 in Tacloban.

Makati $2,137
Tacloban $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,532 in Tacloban.

Makati $3,044
Tacloban $1,532

Living in Makati is roughly 59% more expensive than in Tacloban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Tacloban 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱409

$4.00 ₱255

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,457

$15.55 ₱994

147.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱306

$2.33 ₱149

105.15%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.31 ₱148

12.12%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.68 ₱43.57

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.39

$0.36 ₱23.22

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.59 ₱102

50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.17 ₱138

46.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.91 ₱122

-5.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$1.11 ₱70.6

13.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.9

$0.80 ₱51.2

28.75%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.89 ₱121

25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$10.05 ₱642

-31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.11 ₱262

19.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱431

$7.18 ₱459

-6.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$3.18 ₱203

29.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.08 ₱68.8

75.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.28 ₱146

39.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$1.46 ₱93.3

54.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱227

$2.30 ₱147

54.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.85 ₱118

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.1

$1.09 ₱69.7

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.9

$0.60 ₱38.26

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$1.86 ₱119

39.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱502

$6.30 ₱402

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.6

$1.07 ₱68.4

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.72 ₱110

12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.20 ₱12.82

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,595

$12.30 ₱786

357.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.59

$0.78 ₱49.88

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$0.22 ₱14.07

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.86 ₱119

2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.04 ₱66.2

23.08%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.10%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.16%

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

$151 ₱9,669

$117 ₱7,485

29.18%

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

$15.59 ₱996

$15.64 ₱999

-0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,005

$28.34 ₱1,811

10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,403

$31.68 ₱2,024

68.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$5.30 ₱339

164.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$5.36 ₱342

34.70%

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

$776 ₱49.6K

$131 ₱8,357

493.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱472.2K

$7,929 ₱506.6K

-6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,826

$32.33 ₱2,066

85.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,361

$19.29 ₱1,233

91.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,177

$76.5 ₱4,889

5.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,446

$56.0 ₱3,577

80.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱53.0K

$254 ₱16.2K

226.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$191 ₱12.2K

123.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.4K

$498 ₱31.8K

331.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.6K

$348 ₱22.2K

276.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱365.1K

$2,586 ₱165.2K

121.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱228.0K

$1,114 ₱71.1K

220.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$340 ₱21.7K

72.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.2

4.17%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Tacloban

$191 24.8% 55.3% $237

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Tacloban

$195 25.3% 14% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Tacloban

$161 20.9% 18.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Tacloban

$83 10.7% 33.9% $43

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Tacloban

$83 10.8% 31.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Tacloban

$42 5.5% 37.4% $25

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Tacloban

$15 1.9% 75.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $254 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $16 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $195 per month, with Tacloban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

242,089

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Tacloban 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Tacloban

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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacloban wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tacloban the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Makati, 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 $254 in Tacloban. 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 $771 in Tacloban – Tacloban is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tacloban runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.