Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $826 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
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Mandaue Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$826

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $826 in Mandaue versus $1,228 in Makati.

Mandaue $826
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,204 in Mandaue versus $2,039 in Makati.

Mandaue $1,204
Makati $2,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,582 in Mandaue versus $2,850 in Makati.

Mandaue $1,582
Makati $2,850

Living in Mandaue costs roughly 33% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaue 39% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$6.44 ₱405

-52.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.94 ₱1,507

$39.89 ₱2,511

-39.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.10 ₱258

$4.78 ₱301

-14.23%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱163

$2.58 ₱163

0.39%

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

$0.63 ₱39.56

$1.10 ₱69.3

-42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.52

$0.50 ₱31.66

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱109

$2.35 ₱148

-26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₱139

$3.14 ₱197

-29.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.90 ₱119

-2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.3

$1.24 ₱78.3

-6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₱61.5

$1.01 ₱63.9

-2.97%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱124

$2.36 ₱149

-16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 ₱640

$7.01 ₱442

45.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$4.93 ₱310

-6.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 ₱474

$6.89 ₱434

9.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$4.00 ₱252

-13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.95 ₱123

-25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₱149

$3.23 ₱203

-26.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱93.9

$2.29 ₱144

-34.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$3.62 ₱228

-32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$3.46 ₱218

-43.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$1.11 ₱69.8

6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.88

$1.15 ₱72.5

-40.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱154

$2.67 ₱168

-8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 ₱396

$7.89 ₱497

-20.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.4

$1.33 ₱83.4

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₱104

$2.04 ₱128

-19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.51

$0.92 ₱57.8

-71.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.02 ₱694

$56.2 ₱3,539

-80.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.1

$0.64 ₱40.57

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.19

$0.21 ₱13.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.2

$1.26 ₱79.6

4.76%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

3.88%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

2.56%

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

$98.1 ₱6,173

$153 ₱9,651

-36.03%

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

$14.39 ₱906

$15.87 ₱999

-9.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.74 ₱1,747

$32.36 ₱2,038

-14.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.94 ₱2,011

$54.5 ₱3,430

-41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.77 ₱301

$14.33 ₱902

-66.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.52 ₱348

$7.20 ₱453

-23.33%

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

$132 ₱8,303

$805 ₱50.7K

-83.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,157 ₱513.6K

$7,474 ₱470.6K

9.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.92 ₱2,073

$61.5 ₱3,871

-46.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.64 ₱1,236

$36.38 ₱2,291

-46.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ₱4,788

$81.2 ₱5,112

-6.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 ₱3,631

$105 ₱6,604

-45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.7K

$811 ₱51.1K

-67.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₱15.9K

$417 ₱26.3K

-39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ₱47.5K

$2,310 ₱145.4K

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₱22.0K

$1,090 ₱68.6K

-67.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,428 ₱152.9K

$6,032 ₱379.8K

-59.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₱63.2K

$3,693 ₱232.5K

-72.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$236 ₱14.9K

$604 ₱38.0K

-60.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Mandaue: October 18, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaue

$253 30.6%

Makati

$417 34% 65.1% $165

Groceries & Markets

Mandaue

$207 25.1%

Makati

$230 18.7% 10.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaue

$140 17%

Makati

$202 16.4% 43.8% $61

Eating Out

Mandaue

$85 10.3%

Makati

$121 9.9% 42.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaue

$84 10.2%

Makati

$128 10.4% 52.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaue

$43 5.2%

Makati

$69 5.6% 60.3% $26

Getting Around

Mandaue

$14 1.7%

Makati

$62 5% 343% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Mandaue and $811 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 156% 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: $24.00 in Mandaue vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $230 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Mandaue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,116

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mandaue Makati 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mandaue
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

Mandaue vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 156% lower in Makati. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $265 in Mandaue versus $811 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $826 per month in Mandaue versus $1,228 in Makati – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mandaue runs roughly 410% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $826 in Mandaue versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $826 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.