Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Zamboanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $714 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Zamboanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,174 in Makati versus $714 in Zamboanga.

Makati $1,174
Zamboanga $714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,962 in Makati versus $1,076 in Zamboanga.

Makati $1,962
Zamboanga $1,076

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Makati versus $1,438 in Zamboanga.

Makati $2,750
Zamboanga $1,438

Living in Makati is roughly 64% more expensive than in Zamboanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 13% lower, Zamboanga 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱299

$1.31 ₱82.7

260.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ₱1,671

$16.52 ₱1,047

59.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ₱254

$3.32 ₱210

20.78%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱156

$2.05 ₱130

20.00%

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

$1.05 ₱66.7

$0.91 ₱57.5

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.43

$0.39 ₱24.93

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.6

$1.45 ₱91.7

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱153

$1.95 ₱123

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.80 ₱114

3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.2

$1.38 ₱87.4

-18.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$1.10 ₱69.9

-10.00%

Eggs

$2.20 ₱139

$1.44 ₱91.1

52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ₱476

$4.69 ₱298

60.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 ₱293

$3.88 ₱246

19.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱444

$3.13 ₱198

123.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱205

$3.00 ₱190

7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.20 ₱75.9

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 ₱175

$3.78 ₱240

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$1.15 ₱73.1

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ₱84.3

$1.18 ₱74.8

12.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₱87.3

$2.40 ₱152

-42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 ₱119

$0.85 ₱53.8

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.92

$0.49 ₱31.25

18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 ₱192

$2.69 ₱170

12.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 ₱613

$4.22 ₱268

129.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$1.30 ₱82.4

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$1.99 ₱126

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ₱48.36

$0.17 ₱11.04

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.7 ₱3,657

$12.49 ₱791

361.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.65

$0.74 ₱47.15

1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.67

$0.22 ₱13.92

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.90 ₱121

3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱79.5

$0.97 ₱61.5

28.87%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

0.23%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

1.90%

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

$111 ₱7,025

$118 ₱7,496

-6.28%

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

$16.82 ₱1,066

$15.47 ₱981

8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 ₱1,521

$47.75 ₱3,027

-49.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 ₱3,588

$35.86 ₱2,273

57.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱896

$5.11 ₱324

176.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₱400

$5.02 ₱318

25.70%

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

$619 ₱39.3K

$131 ₱8,285

373.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 ₱331.5K

$7,774 ₱492.7K

-32.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 ₱3,512

$32.15 ₱2,037

72.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 ₱1,985

$19.42 ₱1,231

61.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 ₱4,437

$71.8 ₱4,548

-2.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,666

$54.0 ₱3,422

7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₱52.0K

$250 ₱15.8K

228.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.4K

$166 ₱10.5K

197.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₱157.7K

$329 ₱20.8K

656.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 ₱82.0K

$353 ₱22.4K

266.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₱355.4K

$2,668 ₱169.1K

110.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ₱225.5K

$1,111 ₱70.4K

220.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.2K

$191 ₱12.1K

173.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

1.16%

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

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$495 42.1%

Zamboanga

$166 23.3% 66.4% $329

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$203 17.3%

Zamboanga

$165 23% 19% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$152 12.9%

Zamboanga

$181 25.4% 19.7% $30

Eating Out

Makati

$97 8.2%

Zamboanga

$61 8.6% 36.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$97 8.2%

Zamboanga

$80 11.2% 17.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.9%

Zamboanga

$46 6.4% 33.7% $23

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.3%

Zamboanga

$15 2.1% 75.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Makati and $250 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Makati vs $17 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $165 per month, with Zamboanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Makati Zamboanga 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Zamboanga

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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zamboanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Makati is about 2.7 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: $820 in Makati versus $250 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,174 per month in Makati versus $714 in Zamboanga – Zamboanga is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Zamboanga runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $714 in Zamboanga versus $1,174 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.