Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $860 in Quezon City versus $1,228 in Makati.

Quezon City $860
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Quezon City versus $2,028 in Makati.

Quezon City $1,372
Makati $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,885 in Quezon City versus $2,828 in Makati.

Quezon City $1,885
Makati $2,828

Living in Quezon City costs roughly 30% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quezon City 36% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ₱282

$6.22 ₱392

-27.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.90 ₱1,190

$39.57 ₱2,491

-52.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱179

$4.88 ₱307

-41.80%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ₱175

$2.55 ₱161

9.41%

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

$0.75 ₱47.41

$1.06 ₱67.0

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.78

$0.50 ₱31.54

-46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ₱91.6

$2.38 ₱150

-39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₱178

$3.21 ₱202

-11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.90 ₱120

-11.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$1.29 ₱81.5

-11.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱53.0

$1.06 ₱67.0

-20.75%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.47 ₱155

-29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 ₱421

$7.29 ₱459

-8.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱267

$4.86 ₱306

-12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 ₱455

$7.03 ₱442

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 ₱250

$4.04 ₱254

-1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ₱85.7

$1.94 ₱122

-29.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$3.22 ₱203

7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$2.29 ₱144

-50.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$3.48 ₱219

-32.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$3.59 ₱226

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₱89.7

$1.06 ₱66.8

33.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$1.11 ₱69.7

-12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱178

$2.69 ₱169

4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 ₱487

$8.11 ₱511

-4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.8

$1.32 ₱82.9

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.98 ₱124

-9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₱22.92

$0.90 ₱56.4

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.25 ₱1,212

$56.8 ₱3,575

-66.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.63

$0.67 ₱41.91

14.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.22

$0.21 ₱13.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ₱162

$1.93 ₱121

33.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱74.6

$1.25 ₱78.8

-5.60%

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

$21.4K ₱1.4M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

0.90%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-2.33%

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

$163 ₱10.2K

$153 ₱9,620

6.47%

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

$14.34 ₱903

$16.06 ₱1,011

-10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.17 ₱1,522

$32.37 ₱2,038

-25.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.36 ₱2,415

$54.9 ₱3,456

-30.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.30 ₱207

$14.14 ₱890

-76.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 ₱441

$7.22 ₱454

-2.91%

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

$71.8 ₱4,522

$794 ₱50.0K

-90.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,491 ₱156.8K

$7,321 ₱460.9K

-65.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.65 ₱2,245

$61.2 ₱3,850

-41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.77 ₱1,433

$36.86 ₱2,321

-38.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₱4,898

$81.5 ₱5,129

-4.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 ₱4,850

$103 ₱6,510

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.7K

$815 ₱51.3K

-61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ₱11.8K

$417 ₱26.3K

-55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₱47.0K

$2,274 ₱143.2K

-67.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ₱33.8K

$1,069 ₱67.3K

-49.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,370 ₱149.2K

$5,869 ₱369.5K

-59.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₱89.7K

$3,738 ₱235.4K

-61.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 ₱27.0K

$601 ₱37.9K

-28.66%

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 Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Quezon City

$206 24%

Makati

$231 18.8% 12.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quezon City

$201 23.4%

Makati

$201 16.4% 0% $0

Accommodation & Living

Quezon City

$187 21.8%

Makati

$417 34% 123% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Quezon City

$96 11.2%

Makati

$127 10.4% 32.6% $31

Eating Out

Quezon City

$95 11%

Makati

$120 9.7% 26.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Quezon City

$52 6.1%

Makati

$69 5.6% 32.3% $17

Getting Around

Quezon City

$23 2.6%

Makati

$62 5.1% 176% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Quezon City and $815 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 40% 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: $19.00 in Quezon City vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $231 per month, with Quezon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

Same time as Quezon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,936,116

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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Quezon City Makati 11 km

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Quezon City
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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

Quezon City vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quezon City wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quezon City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $312 in Quezon City versus $815 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $860 per month in Quezon City versus $1,228 in Makati – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 195% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $860 in Quezon City versus $1,228 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quezon City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $860 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quezon City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Quezon City 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 Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.