Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago City and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago City: $862 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$862

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Santiago City versus $1,230 in Makati.

Santiago City $862
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,309 in Santiago City versus $2,137 in Makati.

Santiago City $1,309
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,755 in Santiago City versus $3,044 in Makati.

Santiago City $1,755
Makati $3,044

Living in Santiago 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: Santiago City 37% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 ₱396

$6.40 ₱408

-2.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.94 ₱2,486

$38.45 ₱2,455

1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ₱291

$4.78 ₱305

-4.60%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱161

$2.59 ₱166

-3.09%

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

$1.10 ₱69.9

$1.09 ₱69.9

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.53

$0.49 ₱31.36

8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 ₱147

$2.39 ₱153

-3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₱195

$3.18 ₱203

-3.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ₱119

$1.80 ₱115

3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱66.7

$1.03 ₱65.8

0.97%

Eggs

$1.36 ₱87.0

$2.37 ₱151

-42.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 ₱447

$6.91 ₱441

1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ₱316

$4.93 ₱315

0.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 ₱426

$6.74 ₱430

-1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₱150

$4.12 ₱263

-43.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 ₱205

$3.19 ₱204

0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 ₱147

$2.25 ₱143

2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₱220

$3.55 ₱226

-3.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱217

$3.50 ₱223

-3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.07 ₱68.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.42

$1.13 ₱71.8

-52.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱161

$2.60 ₱166

-3.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱496

$7.85 ₱501

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱86.3

$1.29 ₱82.5

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.67

$0.88 ₱56.4

-73.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.07 ₱771

$56.3 ₱3,592

-78.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.25

$0.65 ₱41.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.40

$0.21 ₱13.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$1.90 ₱122

-2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱79.4

$1.28 ₱81.6

-3.13%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-1.17%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-1.56%

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

$155 ₱9,891

$151 ₱9,662

2.37%

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

$15.75 ₱1,006

$15.59 ₱995

1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.94 ₱2,039

$31.38 ₱2,003

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.85 ₱2,097

$53.3 ₱3,401

-38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.44 ₱284

$14.04 ₱897

-68.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ₱440

$7.22 ₱461

-4.57%

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

$131 ₱8,373

$776 ₱49.5K

-83.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,238 ₱462.1K

$7,391 ₱471.9K

-2.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.32 ₱2,063

$59.9 ₱3,823

-46.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.96 ₱1,210

$36.96 ₱2,360

-48.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 ₱5,107

$81.0 ₱5,173

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,460

$101 ₱6,441

-46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱16.0K

$829 ₱52.9K

-69.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ₱12.1K

$429 ₱27.4K

-55.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ₱34.3K

$2,151 ₱137.3K

-74.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ₱19.6K

$1,308 ₱83.5K

-76.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,648 ₱169.1K

$5,714 ₱364.8K

-53.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,225 ₱78.2K

$3,568 ₱227.8K

-65.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Santiago City: October 24, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santiago City

$208 24.2%

Makati

$227 18.5% 9.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago City

$203 23.5%

Makati

$198 16.1% 2.1% $4.3

Accommodation & Living

Santiago City

$189 21.9%

Makati

$429 34.8% 127% $240

Eating Out

Santiago City

$118 13.6%

Makati

$121 9.9% 3.1% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago City

$83 9.7%

Makati

$125 10.2% 50.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago City

$47 5.4%

Makati

$68 5.5% 45.2% $21

Getting Around

Santiago City

$15 1.7%

Makati

$61 5% 319% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Santiago City and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Santiago City vs $38 in Makati. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $227, with Santiago City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

Same time as Santiago City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,414

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

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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

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

Santiago City wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santiago City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,293 in Santiago City 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $251 in Santiago City versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $862 per month in Santiago City versus $1,230 in Makati – Santiago City is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago City runs roughly 79% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $862 in Santiago City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City 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.

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