Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pampanga and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Pampanga: $848 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Pampanga
Learn more

Pampanga Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

Jump to prices

Pampanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$848

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Pampanga versus $1,174 in Makati.

Pampanga $848
Makati $1,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Pampanga versus $1,962 in Makati.

Pampanga $1,275
Makati $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,703 in Pampanga versus $2,750 in Makati.

Pampanga $1,703
Makati $2,750

Living in Pampanga costs roughly 28% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pampanga 37% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 ₱258

$4.72 ₱300

-14.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.99 ₱1,271

$26.37 ₱1,676

-24.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱181

$4.01 ₱255

-29.18%

Cappuccino

$2.38 ₱151

$2.46 ₱156

-3.25%

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

$0.68 ₱43.01

$1.05 ₱66.9

-35.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱27.01

$0.59 ₱37.55

-28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.16 ₱73.8

-5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₱140

$2.41 ₱153

-8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.86 ₱118

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.12 ₱71.4

-1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$0.99 ₱62.6

-6.06%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱123

$2.20 ₱140

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 ₱269

$7.51 ₱478

-43.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 ₱256

$4.63 ₱294

-13.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 ₱469

$7.01 ₱446

5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ₱136

$3.23 ₱205

-33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.90 ₱121

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ₱135

$2.76 ₱175

-23.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ₱62.1

$0.88 ₱56.2

11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ₱96.6

$1.33 ₱84.5

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₱99.6

$1.38 ₱87.6

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₱50.0

$1.87 ₱119

-57.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.12

$0.58 ₱37.03

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 ₱200

$3.03 ₱193

3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 ₱429

$9.67 ₱615

-30.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.25 ₱79.7

-14.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$2.01 ₱128

-1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.64

$0.76 ₱48.51

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.35 ₱849

$57.7 ₱3,668

-76.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱50.1

$0.75 ₱47.80

5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.40

$0.20 ₱12.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 ₱111

$1.96 ₱124

-10.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱80.2

$1.25 ₱79.8

0.80%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

2.72%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-0.48%

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

$111 ₱7,045

$111 ₱7,047

-0.03%

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

$15.45 ₱982

$16.82 ₱1,070

-8.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.91 ₱1,647

$24.00 ₱1,526

7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 ₱2,152

$56.6 ₱3,599

-40.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱899

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 ₱277

$6.31 ₱401

-30.90%

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

$255 ₱16.2K

$619 ₱39.4K

-58.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,918 ₱567.0K

$5,231 ₱332.6K

70.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 ₱3,197

$55.4 ₱3,523

-9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.26 ₱1,797

$31.32 ₱1,991

-9.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ₱4,850

$70.0 ₱4,451

8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,769

$57.8 ₱3,678

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₱27.0K

$820 ₱52.1K

-48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₱18.3K

$495 ₱31.4K

-41.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₱47.0K

$2,487 ₱158.2K

-70.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 ₱34.3K

$1,294 ₱82.3K

-58.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,976 ₱252.8K

$5,608 ₱356.5K

-29.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,484 ₱157.9K

$3,558 ₱226.2K

-30.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ₱33.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Pampanga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pampanga

$289 34%

Makati

$495 42.1% 71.4% $206

Groceries & Markets

Pampanga

$169 19.9%

Makati

$203 17.3% 20.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pampanga

$152 17.9%

Makati

$152 12.9% 0.3% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Pampanga

$96 11.4%

Makati

$97 8.2% 0.2% $0.2

Eating Out

Pampanga

$84 9.9%

Makati

$97 8.2% 15.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Pampanga

$43 5%

Makati

$69 5.9% 62.6% $27

Getting Around

Pampanga

$16 1.9%

Makati

$62 5.3% 288% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Pampanga and $820 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Pampanga vs $26 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $203 per month, with Pampanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pampanga

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

Same time as Pampanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,616

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pampanga Makati 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pampanga
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

Pampanga vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pampanga wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pampanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,272 in Pampanga and $1,761 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: $424 in Pampanga versus $820 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $848 per month in Pampanga versus $1,174 in Makati – Pampanga is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Pampanga runs roughly 77% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Pampanga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Pampanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.