Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Valencia City

For one person, living is cheaper in Valencia City: $734 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Valencia City
Learn more

Valencia City Living Index

Jump to prices

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Valencia City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $734 in Valencia City.

Makati $1,228
Valencia City $734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $1,125 in Valencia City.

Makati $2,028
Valencia City $1,125

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $1,516 in Valencia City.

Makati $2,828
Valencia City $1,516

Living in Makati is roughly 67% more expensive than in Valencia City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 9% lower, Valencia City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$2.91 ₱183

113.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$16.68 ₱1,050

137.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$2.02 ₱127

141.58%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$2.26 ₱142

12.83%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.39 ₱24.45

171.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$0.42 ₱26.20

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.17 ₱73.6

103.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$1.92 ₱121

67.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.95 ₱123

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$1.14 ₱71.5

13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.78 ₱49.20

35.90%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$1.58 ₱99.2

56.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$6.42 ₱404

13.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$4.85 ₱305

0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$9.18 ₱578

-23.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.73 ₱172

47.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.11 ₱70.0

74.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.43 ₱153

32.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.19 ₱74.8

92.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$0.65 ₱41.16

435.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$2.25 ₱142

59.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.20 ₱75.4

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.71 ₱44.47

56.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$2.50 ₱157

7.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$8.05 ₱507

0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.29 ₱81.4

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$1.66 ₱105

19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$0.25 ₱15.55

260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$11.82 ₱744

380.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$0.79 ₱49.51

-15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$0.23 ₱14.41

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.97 ₱124

-2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.27 ₱80.1

-1.57%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

-1.92%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

3.67%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$107 ₱6,731

42.94%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$19.47 ₱1,226

-17.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$31.37 ₱1,975

3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$30.13 ₱1,897

82.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$3.97 ₱250

256.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$4.72 ₱297

52.97%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$109 ₱6,869

628.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$7,414 ₱466.8K

-1.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$32.76 ₱2,062

86.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$19.17 ₱1,207

92.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$72.0 ₱4,530

13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$61.0 ₱3,840

69.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$293 ₱18.4K

178.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$176 ₱11.1K

136.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$468 ₱29.5K

385.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$369 ₱23.3K

189.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$2,456 ₱154.7K

138.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

247.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.31

-9.75%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Valencia City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Valencia City

$176 24% 57.7% $241

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Valencia City

$193 26.3% 16.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Valencia City

$158 21.5% 21.6% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Valencia City

$83 11.3% 34.6% $44

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Valencia City

$69 9.5% 42% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Valencia City

$40 5.4% 42.9% $30

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Valencia City

$15 2% 76.3% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $293 in Valencia City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Makati vs $17.00 in Valencia City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $193 per month, with Valencia City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Valencia City

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

216,546

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Makati Valencia City 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Valencia City wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Valencia City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,842 in Makati and $1,101 in Valencia City 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: $815 in Makati versus $293 in Valencia City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $734 in Valencia City – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Valencia City runs roughly 380% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $734 in Valencia City versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Valencia City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Valencia City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Valencia City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati and Valencia City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Valencia City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.