Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, Philippines and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $807 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$807

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in San Fernando versus $1,174 in Makati.

San Fernando $807
Makati $1,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in San Fernando versus $1,962 in Makati.

San Fernando $1,271
Makati $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in San Fernando versus $2,750 in Makati.

San Fernando $1,735
Makati $2,750

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 31% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 40% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 ₱195

$4.72 ₱300

-34.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.84 ₱1,516

$26.37 ₱1,676

-9.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$4.01 ₱255

-29.68%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₱109

$2.46 ₱156

-30.49%

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

$0.64 ₱40.43

$1.05 ₱66.9

-39.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱24.23

$0.59 ₱37.55

-35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$1.16 ₱73.8

-6.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.41 ₱153

-19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.86 ₱118

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$1.12 ₱71.4

-22.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.1

$0.99 ₱62.6

-3.03%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.20 ₱140

-13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 ₱293

$7.51 ₱478

-38.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱210

$4.63 ₱294

-28.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 ₱448

$7.01 ₱446

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$3.23 ₱205

-20.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.90 ₱121

8.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 ₱175

$2.76 ₱175

-0.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$0.88 ₱56.2

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.0

$1.33 ₱84.5

3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₱83.8

$1.38 ₱87.6

-4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.09

$1.87 ₱119

-65.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.37

$0.58 ₱37.03

-39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ₱172

$3.03 ₱193

-10.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 ₱442

$9.67 ₱615

-28.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱47.73

$1.25 ₱79.7

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₱187

$2.01 ₱128

46.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.80

$0.76 ₱48.51

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.59 ₱864

$57.7 ₱3,668

-76.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.7

$0.75 ₱47.80

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.20 ₱12.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$1.96 ₱124

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.25 ₱79.8

1.60%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

0.47%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.61%

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

$96.3 ₱6,121

$111 ₱7,047

-13.15%

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

$17.18 ₱1,092

$16.82 ₱1,070

2.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.29 ₱1,926

$24.00 ₱1,526

26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.66 ₱2,013

$56.6 ₱3,599

-44.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.57 ₱990

$14.14 ₱899

10.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 ₱296

$6.31 ₱401

-26.15%

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

$267 ₱17.0K

$619 ₱39.4K

-56.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ₱855.9K

$5,231 ₱332.6K

157.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.06 ₱3,119

$55.4 ₱3,523

-11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 ₱2,399

$31.32 ₱1,991

20.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,542

$70.0 ₱4,451

2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 ₱4,982

$57.8 ₱3,678

35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₱25.6K

$820 ₱52.1K

-50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.9K

$495 ₱31.4K

-46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₱46.0K

$2,487 ₱158.2K

-70.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 ₱35.6K

$1,294 ₱82.3K

-56.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,249 ₱270.2K

$5,608 ₱356.5K

-24.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,385 ₱151.6K

$3,558 ₱226.2K

-32.97%

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 San Fernando: November 1, 2026

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando

$266 32.9%

Makati

$495 42.1% 86.3% $229

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando

$167 20.7%

Makati

$203 17.3% 21.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando

$144 17.8%

Makati

$152 12.9% 5.5% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando

$106 13.2%

Makati

$97 8.2% 9.3% $9.9

Eating Out

San Fernando

$67 8.3%

Makati

$97 8.2% 44.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando

$41 5.1%

Makati

$69 5.9% 69% $28

Getting Around

San Fernando

$17 2.1%

Makati

$62 5.3% 277% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in San Fernando and $820 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in San Fernando vs $26 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $203 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

Same time as San Fernando

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,666

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

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San Fernando Makati 63 km

From you

San Fernando
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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

San Fernando vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Fernando the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,211 in San Fernando 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: $402 in San Fernando versus $820 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $807 per month in San Fernando versus $1,174 in Makati – San Fernando is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando runs roughly 76% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.