Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Princesa and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $842 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$842

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,174 in Makati.

Puerto Princesa $842
Makati $1,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,962 in Makati.

Puerto Princesa $1,245
Makati $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,648 in Puerto Princesa versus $2,750 in Makati.

Puerto Princesa $1,648
Makati $2,750

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Princesa 38% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 ₱227

$4.72 ₱300

-24.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.46 ₱1,298

$26.37 ₱1,673

-22.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.27 ₱207

$4.01 ₱255

-18.45%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱139

$2.46 ₱156

-11.38%

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

$0.77 ₱49.04

$1.05 ₱66.7

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱28.18

$0.59 ₱37.47

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.3

$1.16 ₱73.6

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

$2.41 ₱153

-10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱107

$1.86 ₱118

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.6

$1.12 ₱71.2

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₱48.99

$0.99 ₱62.5

-22.22%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱120

$2.20 ₱139

-14.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱301

$7.51 ₱477

-36.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₱264

$4.63 ₱294

-10.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 ₱467

$7.01 ₱445

5.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ₱157

$3.23 ₱205

-23.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$1.90 ₱121

-4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 ₱165

$2.76 ₱175

-5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.9

$0.88 ₱56.0

5.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱97.1

$1.33 ₱84.3

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.6

$1.38 ₱87.4

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱57.1

$1.87 ₱119

-51.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.52

$0.58 ₱36.95

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 ₱176

$3.03 ₱192

-8.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 ₱445

$9.67 ₱614

-27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₱68.6

$1.25 ₱79.5

-13.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.01 ₱128

-8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.91

$0.76 ₱48.41

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ₱849

$57.7 ₱3,660

-76.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.8

$0.75 ₱47.70

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.20 ₱12.68

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.96 ₱124

-6.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.7

$1.25 ₱79.6

-18.40%

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

$16.3K ₱1.0M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-22.10%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-0.68%

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

$110 ₱6,985

$111 ₱7,032

-0.67%

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

$16.01 ₱1,016

$16.82 ₱1,067

-4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.74 ₱1,696

$24.00 ₱1,523

11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.08 ₱2,035

$56.6 ₱3,591

-43.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱897

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱314

$6.31 ₱400

-21.55%

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

$269 ₱17.1K

$619 ₱39.3K

-56.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,369 ₱467.5K

$5,231 ₱331.9K

40.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.23 ₱3,123

$55.4 ₱3,515

-11.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.64 ₱1,753

$31.32 ₱1,987

-11.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,506

$70.0 ₱4,441

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₱3,790

$57.8 ₱3,670

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₱26.3K

$820 ₱52.0K

-49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₱17.9K

$495 ₱31.4K

-42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ₱50.6K

$2,487 ₱157.8K

-67.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₱30.7K

$1,294 ₱82.1K

-62.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 ₱249.7K

$5,608 ₱355.8K

-29.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₱152.9K

$3,558 ₱225.7K

-32.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$287 ₱18.2K

$524 ₱33.2K

-45.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Puerto Princesa: 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

Puerto Princesa

$283 33.6%

Makati

$495 42.1% 75% $212

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Princesa

$175 20.8%

Makati

$203 17.3% 16.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Princesa

$153 18.2%

Makati

$152 12.9% 0.8% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Princesa

$93 11.1%

Makati

$97 8.2% 3.4% $3.1

Eating Out

Puerto Princesa

$80 9.5%

Makati

$97 8.2% 21% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Princesa

$42 5%

Makati

$69 5.9% 64.9% $27

Getting Around

Puerto Princesa

$16 1.9%

Makati

$62 5.3% 284% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Puerto Princesa and $820 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 82% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Puerto Princesa vs $26 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $203 per month, with Puerto Princesa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

Same time as Puerto Princesa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,079

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Puerto Princesa Makati 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Princesa
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

Puerto Princesa vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Puerto Princesa. 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: $414 in Puerto Princesa versus $820 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $842 per month in Puerto Princesa versus $1,174 in Makati – Puerto Princesa is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

At $842 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,174 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Princesa delivers better value at $842 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Princesa hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Puerto Princesa 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.