Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $523 in Tarlac City.

Makati $1,230
Tarlac City $523

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $801 in Tarlac City.

Makati $2,137
Tarlac City $801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,080 in Tarlac City.

Makati $3,044
Tarlac City $1,080

Living in Makati is roughly 135% more expensive than in Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Tarlac City 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱407

$1.99 ₱127

221.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,449

$7.94 ₱506

384.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.67 ₱170

79.03%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$1.82 ₱116

42.31%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.48 ₱30.72

127.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.29

$0.30 ₱19.15

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$0.95 ₱60.6

151.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$1.58 ₱100

101.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.65 ₱105

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.13 ₱72.0

11.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.6

$1.01 ₱64.1

1.98%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.92 ₱123

23.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$4.95 ₱315

39.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$2.68 ₱171

83.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱429

$6.35 ₱405

6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$1.57 ₱100

162.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.51 ₱96.4

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.01 ₱128

58.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.02 ₱64.9

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$1.71 ₱109

107.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.19 ₱75.5

194.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$0.66 ₱41.80

62.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.52 ₱33.32

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.97 ₱189

-12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$3.72 ₱237

111.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.89 ₱56.9

44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.52 ₱97.1

26.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.24 ₱15.31

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,583

$8.05 ₱513

598.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.46

$0.75 ₱47.49

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.22 ₱13.93

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.30 ₱82.7

46.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.11 ₱71.0

15.32%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.03%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.74%

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

$151 ₱9,639

$87.4 ₱5,565

73.20%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$5.34 ₱340

191.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$23.23 ₱1,480

35.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,393

$39.36 ₱2,507

35.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱894

$15.91 ₱1,014

-11.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$5.11 ₱326

41.29%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$130 ₱8,272

497.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱470.7K

$10.5K ₱669.1K

-29.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,814

$28.72 ₱1,829

108.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,354

$18.79 ₱1,197

96.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,161

$62.0 ₱3,947

30.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,426

$47.50 ₱3,025

112.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

$87.2 ₱5,555

850.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

$70.5 ₱4,492

507.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$248 ₱15.8K

767.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.3K

$163 ₱10.4K

702.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱363.9K

$370 ₱23.5K

1445.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.3K

$284 ₱18.1K

1157.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.4K

$208 ₱13.3K

182.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.75

11.11%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 83.5% $358

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Tarlac City

$148 28.4% 34.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Tarlac City

$116 22.2% 41.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 43.7% $55

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Tarlac City

$57 10.9% 53.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Tarlac City

$50 9.5% 26.8% $18

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 82.4% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $87 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $8 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $148 per month, with Tarlac City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

385,398

💱 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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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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarlac City wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tarlac City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.8 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 $87 in Tarlac 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 $523 in Tarlac City – Tarlac City is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tarlac City runs roughly 86% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $523 in Tarlac City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Tarlac City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Tarlac 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 Tarlac City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.