Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Philippines and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $727 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.

35

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
Learn more

San Juan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

Jump to prices

San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $727 in San Juan versus $1,230 in Makati.

San Juan $727
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in San Juan versus $2,137 in Makati.

San Juan $1,099
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,471 in San Juan versus $3,044 in Makati.

San Juan $1,471
Makati $3,044

Living in San Juan 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 Juan 47% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$6.40 ₱408

-37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,032

$38.45 ₱2,450

-57.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 ₱178

$4.78 ₱305

-41.42%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₱166

$2.59 ₱165

0.77%

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

$0.61 ₱38.78

$1.09 ₱69.7

-44.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.31

$0.49 ₱31.30

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$2.39 ₱152

-57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.3

$3.18 ₱202

-51.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.80 ₱115

-7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.3

$1.26 ₱80.6

-10.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$1.03 ₱65.7

-11.65%

Eggs

$1.77 ₱113

$2.37 ₱151

-25.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 ₱317

$6.91 ₱440

-27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$4.93 ₱314

-32.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱445

$6.74 ₱430

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$4.12 ₱262

-46.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ₱88.9

$1.90 ₱121

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$3.19 ₱203

-28.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$2.25 ₱143

-55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$3.55 ₱226

-51.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$3.50 ₱223

-51.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.18

$1.07 ₱67.9

-43.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$1.13 ₱71.7

-21.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₱172

$2.60 ₱165

3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 ₱479

$7.85 ₱500

-4.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.5

$1.29 ₱82.3

-27.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱111

$1.93 ₱123

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.92

$0.88 ₱56.3

-71.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ₱732

$56.3 ₱3,585

-79.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.56

$0.65 ₱41.48

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.21 ₱13.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.90 ₱121

-1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.5

$1.28 ₱81.4

-8.59%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

1.04%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.52%

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

$136 ₱8,682

$151 ₱9,643

-9.97%

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

$14.17 ₱903

$15.59 ₱993

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 ₱1,526

$31.38 ₱1,999

-23.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.03 ₱1,722

$53.3 ₱3,394

-49.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱329

$14.04 ₱895

-63.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱319

$7.22 ₱460

-30.61%

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

$70.3 ₱4,482

$776 ₱49.4K

-90.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 ₱155.6K

$7,391 ₱471.0K

-66.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,830

$59.9 ₱3,816

-52.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 ₱1,225

$36.96 ₱2,355

-48.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,522

$81.0 ₱5,163

-12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,522

$101 ₱6,429

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.1K

$829 ₱52.8K

-67.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$429 ₱27.3K

-60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₱31.4K

$2,151 ₱137.0K

-77.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.7K

$1,308 ₱83.4K

-72.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 ₱146.8K

$5,714 ₱364.1K

-59.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 ₱75.6K

$3,568 ₱227.4K

-66.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ₱15.0K

$587 ₱37.4K

-59.92%

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 Juan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$174 24%

Makati

$198 16.1% 13.7% $24

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$170 23.4%

Makati

$429 34.8% 152% $259

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$169 23.3%

Makati

$227 18.5% 34.2% $58

Eating Out

San Juan

$84 11.5%

Makati

$121 9.9% 45.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$78 10.8%

Makati

$125 10.2% 60% $47

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$37 5.1%

Makati

$68 5.5% 82.8% $31

Getting Around

San Juan

$14 2%

Makati

$61 5% 331% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in San Juan 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 San Juan vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $227 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Juan

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,347

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Juan Makati 5 km

From you

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

San Juan 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 Juan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in San Juan. 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: $269 in San Juan versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $727 per month in San Juan versus $1,230 in Makati – San Juan is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 80% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $727 in San Juan versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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 San Juan 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.