Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Toledo City

For one person, living is cheaper in Toledo City: $644 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Toledo City
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Toledo City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Toledo City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $644 in Toledo City.

Makati $1,230
Toledo City $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,018 in Toledo City.

Makati $2,137
Toledo City $1,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,391 in Toledo City.

Makati $3,044
Toledo City $1,391

Living in Makati is roughly 91% more expensive than in Toledo City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Toledo City 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$2.77 ₱177

131.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,455

$18.50 ₱1,181

107.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$3.15 ₱201

51.75%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$1.84 ₱117

40.76%

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

$1.09 ₱69.9

$0.68 ₱43.22

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.36

$0.33 ₱21.30

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$1.09 ₱69.3

119.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$1.67 ₱107

90.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.65 ₱105

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.7

$1.19 ₱76.0

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.8

$0.81 ₱51.6

27.16%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.82 ₱116

30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$5.83 ₱372

18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$3.88 ₱248

27.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$6.14 ₱392

9.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$3.14 ₱201

31.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.06 ₱67.7

79.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$2.80 ₱179

13.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.41 ₱90.3

59.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$2.25 ₱144

57.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$2.78 ₱178

25.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.43 ₱91.5

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.8

$0.76 ₱48.58

48.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$0.82 ₱52.2

217.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱501

$6.35 ₱406

23.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.5

$1.07 ₱68.4

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.27 ₱80.9

51.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.25 ₱15.66

252.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,592

$11.41 ₱728

393.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.56

$0.76 ₱48.41

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.36 ₱22.70

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$2.30 ₱147

-17.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.17 ₱74.6

9.40%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.49%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-1.36%

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

$151 ₱9,662

$62.0 ₱3,958

144.14%

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

$15.59 ₱995

$9.21 ₱588

69.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,003

$26.62 ₱1,700

17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,401

$31.01 ₱1,980

71.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$5.14 ₱328

173.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$1.52 ₱97.3

375.00%

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

$776 ₱49.5K

$79.8 ₱5,091

872.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.9K

$8,998 ₱574.5K

-17.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,823

$32.98 ₱2,106

81.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,360

$18.94 ₱1,209

95.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,173

$54.1 ₱3,456

49.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,441

$69.4 ₱4,432

45.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.9K

$254 ₱16.2K

226.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$170 ₱10.8K

152.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.3K

$497 ₱31.8K

332.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.5K

$355 ₱22.6K

268.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.8K

$2,669 ₱170.4K

114.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.8K

$1,128 ₱72.0K

216.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

$318 ₱20.3K

84.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

25.00%

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

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Toledo City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Toledo City

$170 26.3% 60.4% $259

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Toledo City

$182 28.3% 19.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Toledo City

$98 15.2% 50.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Toledo City

$79 12.3% 37.1% $46

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Toledo City

$66 10.3% 45.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Toledo City

$34 5.3% 49.7% $34

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Toledo City

$15 2.3% 75.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

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

Makati pays 85% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $19 in Toledo City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $182 per month, with Toledo City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Toledo City

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

206,692

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Makati Toledo City 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Toledo City wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Toledo City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 85% 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 Toledo 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 $644 in Toledo City – Toledo City is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Toledo City runs roughly 80% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $644 in Toledo City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Toledo City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Toledo 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.

Expats usually find Toledo City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.