Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siargao and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Siargao versus $1,230 in Makati.

Siargao $783
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,222 in Siargao versus $2,137 in Makati.

Siargao $1,222
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,660 in Siargao versus $3,044 in Makati.

Siargao $1,660
Makati $3,044

Living in Siargao costs roughly 36% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Siargao 42% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₱233

$6.40 ₱408

-42.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.68 ₱1,256

$38.45 ₱2,455

-48.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.32 ₱212

$4.78 ₱305

-30.54%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱160

$2.59 ₱166

-3.47%

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

$0.83 ₱52.8

$1.09 ₱69.9

-23.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱25.33

$0.49 ₱31.36

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₱82.1

$2.39 ₱153

-46.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₱138

$3.18 ₱203

-32.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱122

$1.80 ₱115

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.4

$1.26 ₱80.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.7

$1.03 ₱65.8

-9.71%

Eggs

$2.05 ₱131

$2.37 ₱151

-13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 ₱518

$6.91 ₱441

17.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 ₱272

$4.93 ₱315

-13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱479

$6.74 ₱430

11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ₱185

$4.12 ₱263

-29.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱97.4

$1.90 ₱121

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 ₱165

$3.19 ₱204

-18.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₱100

$2.25 ₱143

-30.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$3.55 ₱226

-38.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱165

$3.50 ₱223

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.07 ₱68.0

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱46.08

$1.13 ₱71.8

-36.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$2.60 ₱166

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 ₱443

$7.85 ₱501

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.29 ₱82.5

-10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$1.93 ₱123

5.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.46

$0.88 ₱56.4

-70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.37 ₱726

$56.3 ₱3,592

-79.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.73

$0.65 ₱41.56

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.40

$0.21 ₱13.37

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 ₱133

$1.90 ₱122

10.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.28 ₱81.6

-10.94%

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

$26.6K ₱1.7M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

28.06%

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

$20.3K ₱1.3M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

7.59%

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

$112 ₱7,141

$151 ₱9,662

-26.09%

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

$32.27 ₱2,060

$15.59 ₱995

106.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.58 ₱1,761

$31.38 ₱2,003

-12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.95 ₱2,168

$53.3 ₱3,401

-36.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.50 ₱288

$14.04 ₱897

-67.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 ₱382

$7.22 ₱461

-17.17%

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

$151 ₱9,642

$776 ₱49.5K

-80.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,239 ₱270.6K

$7,391 ₱471.9K

-42.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 ₱2,906

$59.9 ₱3,823

-23.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.51 ₱1,693

$36.96 ₱2,360

-28.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,881

$81.0 ₱5,173

-5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,458

$101 ₱6,441

-46.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.8K

$829 ₱52.9K

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱11.1K

$429 ₱27.4K

-59.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 ₱37.1K

$2,151 ₱137.3K

-73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.7K

$1,308 ₱83.5K

-70.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,322 ₱148.3K

$5,714 ₱364.8K

-59.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,123 ₱71.7K

$3,568 ₱227.8K

-68.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

7.5

-11.07%

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

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Siargao

$202 25.8%

Makati

$227 18.5% 12.4% $25

Accommodation & Living

Siargao

$173 22.1%

Makati

$429 34.8% 147% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Siargao

$172 21.9%

Makati

$198 16.1% 15.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Siargao

$91 11.6%

Makati

$125 10.2% 37.6% $34

Eating Out

Siargao

$85 10.8%

Makati

$121 9.9% 42.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Siargao

$46 5.9%

Makati

$68 5.5% 47.5% $22

Getting Around

Siargao

$14 1.8%

Makati

$61 5% 328% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Siargao and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Siargao vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $227 per month, with Siargao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Siargao

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

Same time as Siargao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

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

Siargao Makati 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Siargao
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

Siargao vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siargao wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Siargao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,175 in Siargao 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: $263 in Siargao versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $783 per month in Siargao versus $1,230 in Makati – Siargao is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

At $783 in Siargao versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siargao but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Siargao 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 Siargao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.