Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaybalay and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
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Malaybalay Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

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Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malaybalay and in Makati

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malaybalay and in Makati actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Malaybalay versus $1,228 in Makati.

Malaybalay $756
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Malaybalay versus $2,028 in Makati.

Malaybalay $1,182
Makati $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Malaybalay versus $2,828 in Makati.

Malaybalay $1,607
Makati $2,828

Living in Malaybalay costs roughly 38% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malaybalay 44% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱308

$6.22 ₱392

-21.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,035

$39.57 ₱2,491

-58.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₱221

$4.88 ₱307

-28.07%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$2.55 ₱161

-14.51%

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

$0.49 ₱31.14

$1.06 ₱67.0

-53.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.93

$0.50 ₱31.54

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$2.38 ₱150

-52.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.21 ₱202

-40.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.90 ₱120

6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.29 ₱81.5

-12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.2

$1.06 ₱67.0

-16.98%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.47 ₱155

-24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$7.29 ₱459

-12.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ₱307

$4.86 ₱306

0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$7.03 ₱442

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ₱175

$4.04 ₱254

-31.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.94 ₱122

-44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$3.22 ₱203

-25.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.8

$2.29 ₱144

-50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$3.48 ₱219

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱213

$3.59 ₱226

-5.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$1.06 ₱66.8

13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$1.11 ₱69.7

-40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$2.69 ₱169

-8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$8.11 ₱511

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$1.32 ₱82.9

-3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.98 ₱124

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.60

$0.90 ₱56.4

-75.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.70 ₱674

$56.8 ₱3,575

-81.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$0.67 ₱41.91

25.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.40

$0.21 ₱13.16

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.93 ₱121

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$1.25 ₱78.8

1.60%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

1.53%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-2.99%

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

$109 ₱6,856

$153 ₱9,620

-28.73%

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

$19.33 ₱1,217

$16.06 ₱1,011

20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 ₱1,962

$32.37 ₱2,038

-3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.01 ₱1,890

$54.9 ₱3,456

-45.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.18 ₱263

$14.14 ₱890

-70.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ₱306

$7.22 ₱454

-32.69%

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

$106 ₱6,689

$794 ₱50.0K

-86.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,589 ₱477.8K

$7,321 ₱460.9K

3.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 ₱2,079

$61.2 ₱3,850

-46.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,216

$36.86 ₱2,321

-47.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,451

$81.5 ₱5,129

-13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,821

$103 ₱6,510

-41.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.5K

$815 ₱51.3K

-65.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$417 ₱26.3K

-58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₱27.8K

$2,274 ₱143.2K

-80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.4K

$1,069 ₱67.3K

-62.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 ₱138.5K

$5,869 ₱369.5K

-62.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₱63.4K

$3,738 ₱235.4K

-73.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.5

10.80%

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

Last update for Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malaybalay

$199 26.4%

Makati

$231 18.8% 16.1% $32

Accommodation & Living

Malaybalay

$173 22.8%

Makati

$417 34% 142% $245

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaybalay

$159 21.1%

Makati

$201 16.4% 26.2% $42

Eating Out

Malaybalay

$89 11.7%

Makati

$120 9.7% 34.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Malaybalay

$83 10.9%

Makati

$127 10.4% 54% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Malaybalay

$40 5.3%

Makati

$69 5.6% 74.4% $30

Getting Around

Malaybalay

$14 1.8%

Makati

$62 5.1% 358% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Malaybalay and $815 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Malaybalay vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $231 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

Same time as Malaybalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,712

582,602

💱 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

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Between locations

Malaybalay Makati 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Malaybalay
Makati

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

Malaybalay vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaybalay wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Malaybalay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,134 in Malaybalay and $1,842 in Makati 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: $279 in Malaybalay versus $815 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $756 per month in Malaybalay versus $1,228 in Makati – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malaybalay runs roughly 431% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $756 in Malaybalay versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malaybalay delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malaybalay hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malaybalay and Makati 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 Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.