Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Taguig City

For one person, living is cheaper in Taguig City: $1,120 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. The total is higher in Makati despite lower rent and utilities.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Taguig City
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Taguig City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Taguig City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Taguig 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 Taguig City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $1,120 in Taguig City.

Makati $1,174
Taguig City $1,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,109 in Makati versus $1,736 in Taguig City.

Makati $2,109
Taguig City $1,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $2,352 in Taguig City.

Makati $3,044
Taguig City $2,352

Living in Makati is roughly 5% more expensive than in Taguig City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 14% lower, Taguig City 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱299

$3.22 ₱204

46.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,671

$26.46 ₱1,677

-0.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱254

$3.51 ₱222

14.25%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$1.79 ₱113

37.43%

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

$1.05 ₱66.7

$0.93 ₱59.0

12.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.43

$0.38 ₱24.23

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.6

$1.16 ₱73.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.16 ₱137

11.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.89 ₱120

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.2

$1.35 ₱85.7

-17.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$0.85 ₱54.0

16.47%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$2.05 ₱130

7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱476

$4.66 ₱296

61.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱293

$3.22 ₱204

43.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱444

$6.86 ₱435

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$2.57 ₱163

25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.84 ₱117

3.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.78 ₱176

-0.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.87 ₱54.9

1.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.3

$1.41 ₱89.2

-5.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.3

$1.31 ₱82.9

5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.62 ₱39.23

201.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.92

$0.33 ₱20.89

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.67 ₱169

13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱613

$6.93 ₱439

39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$0.77 ₱49.10

62.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.98 ₱125

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.36

$0.21 ₱13.28

261.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,657

$13.21 ₱837

336.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.65

$1.01 ₱64.3

-25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.67

$0.22 ₱13.94

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.88 ₱119

4.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.30 ₱82.7

-3.85%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-0.80%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.28%

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

$111 ₱7,025

$111 ₱7,055

-0.41%

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

$16.82 ₱1,066

$15.43 ₱978

9.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,521

$24.44 ₱1,549

-1.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,588

$31.70 ₱2,009

78.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱896

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$6.22 ₱394

1.45%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

0.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.5K

$13.7K ₱868.1K

-61.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,512

$48.46 ₱3,071

14.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,985

$28.31 ₱1,794

10.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,437

$72.2 ₱4,577

-3.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,666

$59.7 ₱3,784

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$874 ₱55.4K

-6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$573 ₱36.3K

-13.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.7K

$3,211 ₱203.5K

-22.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.0K

$1,786 ₱113.2K

-27.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.4K

$5,522 ₱350.0K

1.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.5K

$3,869 ₱245.3K

-8.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

$550 ₱34.8K

-4.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taguig City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Taguig City

$573 51.1% 15.8% $78

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Taguig City

$169 15.1% 16.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Taguig City

$151 13.5% 0.3% $0.5

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Taguig City

$73 6.5% 24.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Taguig City

$94 8.4% 2.7% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Taguig City

$44 3.9% 36.2% $25

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Taguig City

$16 1.4% 74.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $823 in Taguig City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 27% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $27 in Taguig City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $193 per month, with Taguig City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Taguig City

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

47,397

💱 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 Taguig City 8 km

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Makati
Taguig City

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 Taguig City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taguig City wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Taguig City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% 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 $823 in Taguig City. 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 $1,120 in Taguig City – Taguig City is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Taguig City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taguig City delivers better value at $1,120 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taguig City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Taguig City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Taguig City wins on affordability, Makati on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.