Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Tacloban versus $1,230 in Makati.

Tacloban $771
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,152 in Tacloban versus $2,137 in Makati.

Tacloban $1,152
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Tacloban versus $3,044 in Makati.

Tacloban $1,532
Makati $3,044

Living in Tacloban costs roughly 37% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tacloban 43% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$6.40 ₱409

-37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.55 ₱994

$38.45 ₱2,457

-59.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱149

$4.78 ₱306

-51.26%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ₱148

$2.59 ₱166

-10.81%

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

$0.68 ₱43.57

$1.09 ₱69.9

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱23.22

$0.49 ₱31.39

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₱102

$2.39 ₱153

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱138

$3.18 ₱203

-31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.80 ₱115

6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$1.26 ₱80.8

-11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$1.03 ₱65.9

-22.33%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$2.37 ₱151

-20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ₱642

$6.91 ₱441

45.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₱262

$4.93 ₱315

-16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 ₱459

$6.74 ₱431

6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₱203

$4.12 ₱263

-22.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.90 ₱122

-43.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱146

$3.19 ₱204

-28.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₱93.3

$2.25 ₱144

-35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$3.55 ₱227

-35.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₱118

$3.50 ₱223

-47.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.07 ₱68.1

1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.26

$1.13 ₱71.9

-46.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ₱119

$2.60 ₱166

-28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ₱402

$7.85 ₱502

-19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱68.4

$1.29 ₱82.6

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.93 ₱124

-10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.82

$0.88 ₱56.4

-77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 ₱786

$56.3 ₱3,595

-78.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.88

$0.65 ₱41.59

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.07

$0.21 ₱13.38

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$1.90 ₱122

-2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱66.2

$1.28 ₱81.6

-18.75%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.15%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-0.16%

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

$117 ₱7,485

$151 ₱9,669

-22.59%

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

$15.64 ₱999

$15.59 ₱996

0.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 ₱1,811

$31.38 ₱2,005

-9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 ₱2,024

$53.3 ₱3,403

-40.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.30 ₱339

$14.04 ₱897

-62.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ₱342

$7.22 ₱461

-25.76%

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

$131 ₱8,357

$776 ₱49.6K

-83.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,929 ₱506.6K

$7,391 ₱472.2K

7.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.33 ₱2,066

$59.9 ₱3,826

-46.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,233

$36.96 ₱2,361

-47.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,889

$81.0 ₱5,177

-5.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,577

$101 ₱6,446

-44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$829 ₱53.0K

-69.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.2K

$429 ₱27.4K

-55.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₱31.8K

$2,151 ₱137.4K

-76.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.2K

$1,308 ₱83.6K

-73.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱165.2K

$5,714 ₱365.1K

-54.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₱71.1K

$3,568 ₱228.0K

-68.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ₱21.7K

$587 ₱37.5K

-42.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$195 25.3%

Makati

$227 18.5% 16.3% $32

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.8%

Makati

$429 34.8% 124% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$161 20.9%

Makati

$198 16.1% 23.1% $37

Eating Out

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Makati

$121 9.9% 45.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.7%

Makati

$125 10.2% 51.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$42 5.5%

Makati

$68 5.5% 59.7% $25

Getting Around

Tacloban

$15 1.9%

Makati

$61 5% 311% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Tacloban and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Tacloban vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $227 per month, with Tacloban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

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

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Highest

Between locations

Tacloban Makati 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
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

Tacloban vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacloban wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tacloban the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Tacloban. 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: $254 in Tacloban versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $771 per month in Tacloban versus $1,230 in Makati – Tacloban is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tacloban runs roughly 78% 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 Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.