Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Valenzuela

For one person, living is cheaper in Valenzuela: $552 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Valenzuela
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Valenzuela Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Valenzuela

🇵🇭 Philippines

$552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Valenzuela

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 Valenzuela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $552 in Valenzuela.

Makati $1,230
Valenzuela $552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,208 in Valenzuela.

Makati $2,137
Valenzuela $1,208

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,864 in Valenzuela.

Makati $3,044
Valenzuela $1,864

Living in Makati is roughly 123% more expensive than in Valenzuela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Valenzuela 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱407

$3.88 ₱247

64.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,449

$16.61 ₱1,058

131.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$2.74 ₱174

74.45%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱165

$2.00 ₱128

29.50%

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

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.56 ₱35.46

94.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.29

$0.31 ₱19.44

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱152

$1.24 ₱79.0

92.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱202

$1.54 ₱98.2

106.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.65 ₱105

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.6

$1.09 ₱69.2

15.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.6

$0.99 ₱63.3

4.04%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$2.05 ₱131

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱440

$4.97 ₱316

39.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$3.28 ₱209

50.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱429

$6.78 ₱432

-0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱262

$2.20 ₱140

87.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.58 ₱101

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱203

$2.31 ₱147

38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$1.05 ₱67.1

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$1.72 ₱110

106.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$1.70 ₱109

105.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.9

$0.64 ₱40.99

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.7

$0.48 ₱30.60

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱165

$2.62 ₱167

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱500

$7.59 ₱484

3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$0.94 ₱59.7

37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.94 ₱124

-0.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.3

$0.23 ₱14.71

282.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,583

$13.23 ₱843

325.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.46

$0.64 ₱40.80

1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.21 ₱13.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.89 ₱121

0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.4

$1.19 ₱75.9

7.56%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-0.96%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-2.17%

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

$151 ₱9,639

$138 ₱8,776

9.83%

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

$15.59 ₱993

$15.92 ₱1,014

-2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱1,999

$30.98 ₱1,973

1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,393

$19.07 ₱1,215

179.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱894

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱460

$6.41 ₱408

12.64%

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

$776 ₱49.4K

$130 ₱8,270

497.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱470.7K

$7,357 ₱468.6K

0.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,814

$28.67 ₱1,826

108.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,354

$19.33 ₱1,231

91.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,161

$69.3 ₱4,414

16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,426

$53.9 ₱3,435

87.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.0K

$997 ₱63.5K

115.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.3K

$770 ₱49.1K

69.81%

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

$578 ₱36.8K

1.53%

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 Valenzuela: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Valenzuela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Valenzuela

$167 30.2% 26.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Valenzuela

$185 33.4% 6.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Valenzuela

$77 14% 38.6% $48

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Valenzuela

$76 13.8% 37.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Valenzuela

$32 5.8% 52.9% $36

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Valenzuela

$16 2.9% 74.2% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $17 in Valenzuela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $167 per month, with Valenzuela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Valenzuela

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

714,978

💱 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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Makati Valenzuela 16 km

From you

Makati
Valenzuela

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 Valenzuela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valenzuela wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Valenzuela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $829 in Valenzuela 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.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $552 in Valenzuela – Valenzuela is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Valenzuela runs roughly 76% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $552 in Valenzuela versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Valenzuela but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Valenzuela 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 Valenzuela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.