Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasay and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasay: $898 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pasay
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Pasay Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Pasay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$898

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $898 in Pasay versus $1,230 in Makati.

Pasay $898
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,224 in Pasay versus $2,137 in Makati.

Pasay $1,224
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Pasay versus $3,044 in Makati.

Pasay $1,551
Makati $3,044

Living in Pasay costs roughly 27% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pasay 34% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ₱280

$6.40 ₱408

-31.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.79 ₱1,197

$38.45 ₱2,450

-51.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱178

$4.78 ₱305

-41.63%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ₱135

$2.59 ₱165

-18.15%

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

$0.59 ₱37.36

$1.09 ₱69.7

-45.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.24

$0.49 ₱31.30

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱73.5

$2.39 ₱152

-51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.0

$3.18 ₱202

-51.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱104

$1.80 ₱115

-9.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱74.1

$1.26 ₱80.6

-7.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$1.03 ₱65.7

-0.97%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$2.37 ₱151

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.97 ₱316

$6.91 ₱440

-28.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 ₱270

$4.93 ₱314

-14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 ₱435

$6.74 ₱430

1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$4.12 ₱262

-46.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.5

$1.90 ₱121

-17.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$3.19 ₱203

-26.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$2.25 ₱143

-50.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$3.55 ₱226

-34.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

$3.50 ₱223

-6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ₱78.2

$1.07 ₱67.9

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₱54.2

$1.13 ₱71.7

-24.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ₱188

$2.60 ₱165

13.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₱482

$7.85 ₱500

-3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱56.1

$1.29 ₱82.3

-31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.93 ₱123

-10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.46

$0.88 ₱56.3

-77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,585

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$0.65 ₱41.48

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.21 ₱13.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱120

$1.90 ₱121

-0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱78.4

$1.28 ₱81.4

-3.91%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.93%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.98%

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

$139 ₱8,867

$151 ₱9,643

-8.05%

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

$14.40 ₱918

$15.59 ₱993

-7.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 ₱1,531

$31.38 ₱1,999

-23.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.26 ₱3,011

$53.3 ₱3,394

-11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱895

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 ₱318

$7.22 ₱460

-30.89%

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

$70.6 ₱4,499

$776 ₱49.4K

-90.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,430 ₱154.9K

$7,391 ₱471.0K

-67.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.90 ₱2,224

$59.9 ₱3,816

-41.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.11 ₱1,218

$36.96 ₱2,355

-48.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 ₱4,475

$81.0 ₱5,163

-13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 ₱3,985

$101 ₱6,429

-38.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ₱27.2K

$829 ₱52.8K

-48.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.9K

$429 ₱27.3K

-27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱52.7K

$2,151 ₱137.0K

-61.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₱23.3K

$1,308 ₱83.4K

-72.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ₱118.8K

$5,714 ₱364.1K

-67.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$567 ₱36.1K

$3,568 ₱227.4K

-84.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₱32.6K

$587 ₱37.4K

-12.77%

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 Pasay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasay

$312 34.8%

Makati

$429 34.8% 37.2% $116

Groceries & Markets

Pasay

$183 20.4%

Makati

$227 18.5% 24.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasay

$178 19.8%

Makati

$198 16.1% 11.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Pasay

$84 9.4%

Makati

$125 10.2% 49.2% $41

Eating Out

Pasay

$81 9.1%

Makati

$121 9.9% 49% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Pasay

$57 6.4%

Makati

$68 5.5% 18.3% $10

Getting Around

Pasay

$2.6 * 0.3%

Makati

$61 5% 2238% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Pasay and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 15% 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: $19 in Pasay vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $227 per month, with Pasay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pasay

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Pasay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

416,522

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Pasay Makati 3 km

From you

Pasay
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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

Pasay vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pasay wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pasay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Pasay. 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: $427 in Pasay versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Makati. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $898 per month in Pasay versus $1,230 in Makati – Pasay is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $898 in Pasay versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pasay but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Pasay 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.

Safety-wise, Pasay and Makati are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pasay wins on affordability, Makati on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.