Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose del Monte and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in San Jose del Monte: $731 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

San Jose del Monte, Philippines
Makati, Philippines
San Jose del Monte
🇵🇭 Philippines
$731
/mo nomad
Makati
🇵🇭 Philippines
$1,230
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in San Jose del Monte versus $1,230 in Makati.

  • San Jose del Monte $731
  • Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in San Jose del Monte versus $2,137 in Makati.

  • San Jose del Monte $1,096
  • Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,461 in San Jose del Monte versus $3,044 in Makati.

  • San Jose del Monte $1,461
  • Makati $3,044

Living in San Jose del Monte costs roughly 41% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Jose del Monte 46% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.94 ₱252
$6.40 ₱409
-38.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.34 ₱1,044
$38.45 ₱2,457
-57.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.73 ₱174
$4.78 ₱306
-42.89%
Cappuccino
$1.74 ₱111
$2.59 ₱166
-32.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 ₱35.61
$1.09 ₱69.9
-48.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱19.71
$0.49 ₱31.39
-36.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.94 ₱59.8
$2.39 ₱153
-60.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ₱102
$3.18 ₱203
-49.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ₱105
$1.80 ₱115
-8.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₱72.8
$1.26 ₱80.8
-9.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ₱59.9
$1.03 ₱65.9
-8.74%
Eggs
$2.02 ₱129
$2.37 ₱151
-14.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.07 ₱324
$6.91 ₱441
-26.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.28 ₱210
$4.93 ₱315
-33.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.92 ₱442
$6.74 ₱431
2.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 ₱145
$4.12 ₱263
-44.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 ₱100
$1.90 ₱122
-17.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 ₱152
$3.19 ₱204
-25.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ₱64.9
$2.25 ₱144
-54.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 ₱109
$3.55 ₱227
-52.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱108
$3.50 ₱223
-51.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ₱41.24
$1.07 ₱68.1
-39.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₱30.52
$1.13 ₱71.9
-57.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.86 ₱183
$2.60 ₱166
10.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 ₱563
$7.85 ₱502
12.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 ₱60.1
$1.29 ₱82.6
-27.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 ₱126
$1.93 ₱124
1.55%
🚌 Getting Around
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 ₱13.69
$0.88 ₱56.4
-76.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.48 ₱797
$56.3 ₱3,595
-77.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 ₱48.17
$0.65 ₱41.59
15.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.73
$0.21 ₱13.38
9.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 ₱122
$1.90 ₱122
0.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 ₱78.2
$1.28 ₱81.6
-4.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ₱1.3M
$20.8K ₱1.3M
0.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.7K ₱1.2M
$18.9K ₱1.2M
-0.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$122 ₱7,788
$151 ₱9,669
-19.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.32 ₱979
$15.59 ₱996
-1.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.05 ₱1,472
$31.38 ₱2,005
-26.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.72 ₱2,282
$53.3 ₱3,403
-32.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.50 ₱351
$14.04 ₱897
-60.83%
Cinema Ticket
$5.22 ₱334
$7.22 ₱461
-27.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$129 ₱8,244
$776 ₱49.6K
-83.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,762 ₱559.8K
$7,391 ₱472.2K
18.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.74 ₱1,836
$59.9 ₱3,826
-52.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.98 ₱1,213
$36.96 ₱2,361
-48.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.5 ₱4,502
$81.0 ₱5,177
-13.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.7 ₱3,428
$101 ₱6,446
-46.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$230 ₱14.7K
$829 ₱53.0K
-72.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$189 ₱12.1K
$429 ₱27.4K
-55.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$437 ₱27.9K
$2,151 ₱137.4K
-79.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$361 ₱23.1K
$1,308 ₱83.6K
-72.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,325 ₱148.6K
$5,714 ₱365.1K
-59.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,217 ₱77.8K
$3,568 ₱228.0K
-65.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Jose del Monte
Makati
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$587 ₱37.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
7.5
-10.00%

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

Last update for San Jose del Monte: October 26, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Jose del Monte
$189
Makati
$429 127% $239
Groceries & Markets
San Jose del Monte
$170
Makati
$227 33.4% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Jose del Monte
$160
Makati
$198 23.7% $38
Clothing & Footwear
San Jose del Monte
$77
Makati
$125 62.2% $48
Eating Out
San Jose del Monte
$72
Makati
$121 68.6% $49
Sport & Entertainment
San Jose del Monte
$46
Makati
$68 46.7% $22
Getting Around
San Jose del Monte
$15
Makati
$61 304% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in San Jose del Monte and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in San Jose del Monte vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $227 per month, with San Jose del Monte cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte
🇵🇭 Makati
🕒 Local time
02:06 2:06 AM
02:06 2:06 AM
Same time as San Jose del Monte
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
651,813
582,602
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Jose del Monte Makati 28 km
From you
  • San Jose del Monte
  • 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
San Jose del Monte vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Jose del Monte or Makati?
San Jose del Monte wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Jose del Monte the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in San Jose del Monte and in Makati?
You’d need roughly $1,096 in San Jose del Monte and $1,845 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in San Jose del Monte compared to Makati?
Rent for a central apartment: $230 in San Jose del Monte versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in San Jose del Monte compared to Makati?
All in, you’ll spend $731 per month in San Jose del Monte versus $1,230 in Makati – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in San Jose del Monte compared to Makati?
A monthly transit pass in San Jose del Monte runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: San Jose del Monte or Makati?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find San Jose del Monte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

San Jose del Monte vs other spots: cost of living compared

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