Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $429 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $429 in Tagum City.

Makati $1,230
Tagum City $429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $532 in Tagum City.

Makati $2,137
Tagum City $532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $635 in Tagum City.

Makati $3,044
Tagum City $635

Living in Makati is roughly 187% more expensive than in Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Tagum City 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱407

$5.56 ₱354

15.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,449

$12.74 ₱812

201.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$5.00 ₱319

-4.40%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.21 ₱141

17.19%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.90 ₱121

25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$1.37 ₱87.6

132.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.65 ₱105

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.6

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.85 ₱118

28.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱429

$7.63 ₱486

-11.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$6.22 ₱396

-33.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$1.36 ₱86.8

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.22 ₱13.95

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,583

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.31 ₱83.4

-2.29%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

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

$151 ₱9,639

$54.2 ₱3,450

179.38%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$7.88 ₱502

97.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$27.21 ₱1,733

15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,393

$23.49 ₱1,496

126.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱894

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$3.25 ₱207

122.15%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱470.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,354

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,161

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$158 ₱10.1K

424.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$126 ₱7,995

241.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$317 ₱20.2K

579.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱363.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

$203 ₱12.9K

189.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Tagum City

–

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Tagum City

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Tagum City

–

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Tagum City

–

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Tagum City

–

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Tagum City

–

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Tagum City

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $158 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $13 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $85 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

18:21 6:21 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

296,202

💱 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

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Between locations

Makati Tagum City 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Tagum 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagum City wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tagum City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.9 times higher, 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 $158 in Tagum City. 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 $429 in Tagum City – Tagum City is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 168% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $429 in Tagum City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Tagum City 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 Tagum City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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