Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Tagaytay

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagaytay: $703 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Tagaytay
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Tagaytay Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Tagaytay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Tagaytay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $703 in Tagaytay.

Makati $1,174
Tagaytay $703

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,060 in Tagaytay.

Makati $1,962
Tagaytay $1,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,417 in Tagaytay.

Makati $2,750
Tagaytay $1,417

Living in Makati is roughly 67% more expensive than in Tagaytay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, Tagaytay 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱300

$1.84 ₱117

156.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,674

$10.87 ₱690

142.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱255

$3.05 ₱194

31.48%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.45 ₱91.8

69.66%

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

$1.05 ₱66.8

$0.35 ₱21.94

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.49

$0.38 ₱23.92

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.7

$2.52 ₱160

-53.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.98 ₱125

21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.64 ₱104

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$1.10 ₱69.8

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.6

$0.92 ₱58.3

7.61%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.85 ₱117

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱477

$5.63 ₱357

33.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱294

$4.08 ₱259

13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$7.05 ₱448

-0.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.42 ₱154

33.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.58 ₱100

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.31 ₱147

19.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.1

$1.17 ₱74.1

-24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.4

$2.08 ₱132

-36.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.5

$2.27 ₱144

-39.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.04 ₱65.9

79.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.98

$0.52 ₱33.23

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.82 ₱179

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱614

$7.29 ₱463

32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.6

$0.98 ₱62.3

27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.84 ₱117

9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.44

$0.24 ₱15.33

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,663

$12.40 ₱787

365.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.73

$0.76 ₱48.11

-1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.86 ₱118

5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.6

$1.08 ₱68.4

15.74%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.82%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.48%

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

$111 ₱7,037

$123 ₱7,812

-9.92%

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

$16.82 ₱1,068

$15.41 ₱978

9.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,524

$24.24 ₱1,539

-0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,594

$31.57 ₱2,005

79.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱898

$5.29 ₱336

167.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$5.01 ₱318

25.95%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

$130 ₱8,231

377.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱332.1K

$8,009 ₱508.5K

-34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,518

$32.62 ₱2,071

69.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,988

$19.13 ₱1,215

63.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,444

$70.0 ₱4,441

0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,672

$55.4 ₱3,514

4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$249 ₱15.8K

229.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$165 ₱10.5K

199.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.9K

$485 ₱30.8K

413.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.2K

$356 ₱22.6K

263.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱356.0K

$2,664 ₱169.2K

110.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.9K

$1,098 ₱69.7K

223.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

1.16%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tagaytay: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Tagaytay

$165 23.5% 66.7% $330

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Tagaytay

$178 25.3% 12.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Tagaytay

$163 23.2% 7.3% $11

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Tagaytay

$61 8.6% 37.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Tagaytay

$80 11.3% 17.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Tagaytay

$42 5.9% 39.9% $28

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Tagaytay

$15 2.2% 75.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $249 in Tagaytay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $11 in Tagaytay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $178 per month, with Tagaytay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Tagaytay

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

85,330

💱 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 Tagaytay 51 km

From you

Makati
Tagaytay

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 Tagaytay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagaytay wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tagaytay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,761 in Makati and $1,054 in Tagaytay 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: $820 in Makati versus $249 in Tagaytay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,174 per month in Makati versus $703 in Tagaytay – Tagaytay is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tagaytay runs roughly 79% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $703 in Tagaytay versus $1,174 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tagaytay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Tagaytay 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 Tagaytay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tagaytay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.