Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarlac City and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

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Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $523 in Tarlac City versus $1,230 in Makati.

Tarlac City $523
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $801 in Tarlac City versus $2,137 in Makati.

Tarlac City $801
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,080 in Tarlac City versus $3,044 in Makati.

Tarlac City $1,080
Makati $3,044

Living in Tarlac City costs roughly 58% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tarlac City 62% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 ₱127

$6.40 ₱408

-68.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.94 ₱506

$38.45 ₱2,450

-79.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 ₱170

$4.78 ₱305

-44.14%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₱116

$2.59 ₱165

-29.73%

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

$0.48 ₱30.74

$1.09 ₱69.7

-55.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.16

$0.49 ₱31.30

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ₱60.7

$2.39 ₱152

-60.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱100

$3.18 ₱202

-50.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.80 ₱115

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.1

$1.26 ₱80.6

-10.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.1

$1.03 ₱65.7

-1.94%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱123

$2.37 ₱151

-18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 ₱315

$6.91 ₱440

-28.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$4.93 ₱314

-45.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 ₱405

$6.74 ₱430

-5.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₱100

$4.12 ₱262

-61.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.5

$1.90 ₱121

-20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ₱128

$3.19 ₱203

-36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$2.25 ₱143

-54.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$3.55 ₱226

-51.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₱75.5

$3.50 ₱223

-66.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$1.07 ₱67.9

-38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.34

$1.13 ₱71.7

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱189

$2.60 ₱165

14.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.72 ₱237

$7.85 ₱500

-52.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱57.0

$1.29 ₱82.3

-31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₱97.1

$1.93 ₱123

-21.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.32

$0.88 ₱56.3

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.05 ₱513

$56.3 ₱3,585

-85.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.51

$0.65 ₱41.48

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.94

$0.21 ₱13.34

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ₱82.8

$1.90 ₱121

-31.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱71.0

$1.28 ₱81.4

-13.28%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.07%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.75%

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

$87.4 ₱5,568

$151 ₱9,643

-42.26%

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

$5.34 ₱340

$15.59 ₱993

-65.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.23 ₱1,480

$31.38 ₱1,999

-25.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.36 ₱2,508

$53.3 ₱3,394

-26.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 ₱1,014

$14.04 ₱895

13.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 ₱326

$7.22 ₱460

-29.22%

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

$130 ₱8,276

$776 ₱49.4K

-83.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₱669.4K

$7,391 ₱471.0K

42.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,830

$59.9 ₱3,816

-52.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.79 ₱1,198

$36.96 ₱2,355

-49.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ₱3,948

$81.0 ₱5,163

-23.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.50 ₱3,027

$101 ₱6,429

-52.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$87.2 ₱5,558

$829 ₱52.8K

-89.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.5 ₱4,495

$429 ₱27.3K

-83.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$2,151 ₱137.0K

-88.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ₱10.4K

$1,308 ₱83.4K

-87.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$370 ₱23.6K

$5,714 ₱364.1K

-93.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$284 ₱18.1K

$3,568 ₱227.4K

-92.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$208 ₱13.3K

$587 ₱37.4K

-64.55%

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 Tarlac City: 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

Tarlac City

$148 28.4%

Makati

$227 18.5% 53.3% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tarlac City

$116 22.2%

Makati

$198 16.1% 71% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Tarlac City

$71 13.5%

Makati

$125 10.2% 77.6% $55

Accommodation & Living

Tarlac City

$71 13.5%

Makati

$429 34.8% 508% $358

Eating Out

Tarlac City

$57 10.9%

Makati

$121 9.9% 114% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Tarlac City

$50 9.5%

Makati

$68 5.5% 36.5% $18

Getting Around

Tarlac City

$11 2.1%

Makati

$61 5% 467% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $87 in Tarlac City and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $8 in Tarlac City vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $227 per month, with Tarlac City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Tarlac City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

385,398

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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Tarlac City Makati 110 km

From you

Tarlac City
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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

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

Tarlac City wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tarlac City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Tarlac City. 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: $87 in Tarlac 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 $523 per month in Tarlac City versus $1,230 in Makati – Tarlac City is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tarlac City runs roughly 86% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $523 in Tarlac City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Tarlac City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Tarlac 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, Tarlac City and Makati are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.