Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negros and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 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.

36

Cost of Living Index in Negros
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Negros Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Negros versus $1,228 in Makati.

Negros $739
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,121 in Negros versus $2,039 in Makati.

Negros $1,121
Makati $2,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,503 in Negros versus $2,850 in Makati.

Negros $1,503
Makati $2,850

Living in Negros costs roughly 40% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negros 45% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ₱185

$6.44 ₱405

-54.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.99 ₱755

$39.89 ₱2,511

-69.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱175

$4.78 ₱301

-42.05%

Cappuccino

$1.40 ₱88.2

$2.58 ₱163

-45.74%

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

$0.67 ₱41.96

$1.10 ₱69.3

-39.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱26.27

$0.50 ₱31.66

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$2.35 ₱148

-48.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱123

$3.14 ₱197

-37.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.90 ₱119

1.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.24 ₱78.3

-10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.6

$1.01 ₱63.9

-4.95%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱123

$2.36 ₱149

-16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 ₱619

$7.01 ₱442

40.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 ₱284

$4.93 ₱310

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$6.89 ₱434

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$4.00 ₱252

-17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ₱88.6

$1.95 ₱123

-27.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$3.23 ₱203

-25.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$2.29 ₱144

-33.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.62 ₱228

-33.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$3.46 ₱218

-45.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$1.11 ₱69.8

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.01

$1.15 ₱72.5

-44.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$2.67 ₱168

8.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ₱385

$7.89 ₱497

-22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$1.33 ₱83.4

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱110

$2.04 ₱128

-14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.37

$0.92 ₱57.8

-71.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.32 ₱713

$56.2 ₱3,539

-79.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.77

$0.64 ₱40.57

23.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.21 ₱13.20

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$1.86 ₱117

1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.26 ₱79.6

5.56%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

0.73%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.98%

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

$120 ₱7,531

$153 ₱9,651

-21.96%

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

$14.43 ₱908

$15.87 ₱999

-9.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.86 ₱1,754

$32.36 ₱2,038

-13.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.58 ₱2,051

$54.5 ₱3,430

-40.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.62 ₱291

$14.33 ₱902

-67.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 ₱342

$7.20 ₱453

-24.44%

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

$130 ₱8,211

$805 ₱50.7K

-83.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 ₱509.8K

$7,474 ₱470.6K

8.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ₱2,066

$61.5 ₱3,871

-46.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.16 ₱1,206

$36.38 ₱2,291

-47.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ₱4,843

$81.2 ₱5,112

-5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,638

$105 ₱6,604

-44.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$811 ₱51.1K

-66.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.6K

$417 ₱26.3K

-59.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 ₱32.2K

$2,310 ₱145.4K

-77.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$1,090 ₱68.6K

-67.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱154.4K

$6,032 ₱379.8K

-59.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ₱62.5K

$3,693 ₱232.5K

-73.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 ₱15.2K

$604 ₱38.0K

-60.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-6.67%

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

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negros

$204 27.5%

Makati

$230 18.7% 12.9% $26

Accommodation & Living

Negros

$169 22.9%

Makati

$417 34% 147% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negros

$162 21.9%

Makati

$202 16.4% 24.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Negros

$84 11.4%

Makati

$128 10.4% 52.1% $44

Eating Out

Negros

$63 8.5%

Makati

$121 9.9% 92.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Negros

$43 5.9%

Makati

$69 5.6% 58.6% $25

Getting Around

Negros

$14 1.9%

Makati

$62 5% 331% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Negros and $811 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 150% 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: $12.00 in Negros vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $230 per month, with Negros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Negros

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

Same time as Negros

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,414,131

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

Negros Makati 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Negros
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

Negros vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negros wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Negros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 150% 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: $269 in Negros versus $811 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $739 per month in Negros versus $1,228 in Makati – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Negros runs roughly 397% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $739 in Negros versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Negros but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Negros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Negros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Negros hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Negros 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 Negros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.