Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polomolok and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $612 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$612

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $612 in Polomolok versus $1,230 in Makati.

Polomolok $612
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $966 in Polomolok versus $2,137 in Makati.

Polomolok $966
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,321 in Polomolok versus $3,044 in Makati.

Polomolok $1,321
Makati $3,044

Living in Polomolok costs roughly 50% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Polomolok 55% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 ₱97.8

$6.40 ₱409

-76.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.22 ₱1,038

$38.45 ₱2,460

-57.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.06 ₱132

$4.78 ₱306

-56.90%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ₱135

$2.59 ₱166

-18.15%

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

$0.37 ₱23.77

$1.09 ₱70.0

-66.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.39

$0.49 ₱31.43

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$2.39 ₱153

-52.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₱136

$3.18 ₱203

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₱101

$1.80 ₱115

-12.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₱56.9

$1.26 ₱80.9

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ₱41.00

$1.03 ₱66.0

-37.86%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱123

$2.37 ₱152

-18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₱406

$6.91 ₱442

-8.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 ₱174

$4.93 ₱316

-44.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.61 ₱359

$6.74 ₱431

-16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 ₱161

$4.12 ₱263

-38.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 ₱36.18

$1.90 ₱122

-70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱155

$3.19 ₱204

-24.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ₱48.53

$2.25 ₱144

-66.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱73.6

$3.55 ₱227

-67.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₱178

$3.50 ₱224

-20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$1.07 ₱68.2

-24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.11

$1.13 ₱72.0

-41.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 ₱157

$2.60 ₱166

-5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 ₱452

$7.85 ₱502

-10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.6

$1.29 ₱82.7

-28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₱97.3

$1.93 ₱124

-21.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.33

$0.88 ₱56.5

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.59 ₱805

$56.3 ₱3,600

-77.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.4

$0.65 ₱41.66

26.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.07

$0.21 ₱13.40

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.90 ₱122

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₱54.3

$1.28 ₱81.7

-33.59%

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

$15.4K ₱987.2K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-25.83%

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

$17.1K ₱1.1M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-9.30%

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

$50.4 ₱3,223

$151 ₱9,684

-66.71%

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

$18.88 ₱1,208

$15.59 ₱997

21.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.19 ₱1,676

$31.38 ₱2,008

-16.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.17 ₱1,995

$53.3 ₱3,409

-41.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.26 ₱337

$14.04 ₱899

-62.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 ₱252

$7.22 ₱462

-45.57%

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

$106 ₱6,754

$776 ₱49.6K

-86.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,346 ₱86.1K

$7,391 ₱472.9K

-81.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.46 ₱2,077

$59.9 ₱3,832

-45.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.92 ₱1,210

$36.96 ₱2,365

-48.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 ₱4,012

$81.0 ₱5,185

-22.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 ₱3,942

$101 ₱6,456

-38.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.3K

$829 ₱53.0K

-69.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$429 ₱27.4K

-60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 ₱35.7K

$2,151 ₱137.6K

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱23.0K

$1,308 ₱83.7K

-72.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 ₱166.2K

$5,714 ₱365.6K

-54.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,128 ₱72.2K

$3,568 ₱228.3K

-68.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$233 ₱14.9K

$587 ₱37.6K

-60.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-20.00%

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

Last update for Polomolok: October 24, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Polomolok

$169 27.7%

Makati

$429 34.8% 153% $259

Groceries & Markets

Polomolok

$156 25.5%

Makati

$227 18.5% 46% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polomolok

$95 15.6%

Makati

$198 16.1% 108% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Polomolok

$79 12.9%

Makati

$125 10.2% 58.7% $46

Eating Out

Polomolok

$58 9.5%

Makati

$121 9.9% 110% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Polomolok

$39 6.4%

Makati

$68 5.5% 73.5% $29

Getting Around

Polomolok

$15 2.5%

Makati

$61 5% 299% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Polomolok and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Polomolok vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 vs $227 per month, with Polomolok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

20:30 8:30 PM

Same time as Polomolok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,605

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Polomolok Makati 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Polomolok
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

Polomolok vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polomolok wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Polomolok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Polomolok. 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: $254 in Polomolok versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $612 per month in Polomolok versus $1,230 in Makati – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Polomolok runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $612 in Polomolok versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Polomolok but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Polomolok 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.

Expats usually find Polomolok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.