Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuguegarao and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $570 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$570

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $570 in Tuguegarao versus $1,230 in Makati.

Tuguegarao $570
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $909 in Tuguegarao versus $2,137 in Makati.

Tuguegarao $909
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,249 in Tuguegarao versus $3,044 in Makati.

Tuguegarao $1,249
Makati $3,044

Living in Tuguegarao costs roughly 54% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tuguegarao 58% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 ₱101

$6.40 ₱409

-75.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.12 ₱1,030

$38.45 ₱2,457

-58.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 ₱171

$4.78 ₱306

-43.93%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₱111

$2.59 ₱166

-32.82%

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

$0.42 ₱26.97

$1.09 ₱69.9

-61.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.65

$0.49 ₱31.39

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$2.39 ₱153

-57.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₱97.5

$3.18 ₱203

-51.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.80 ₱115

-8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.4

$1.26 ₱80.8

-8.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₱43.28

$1.03 ₱65.9

-33.98%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱126

$2.37 ₱151

-16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.92 ₱314

$6.91 ₱441

-28.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ₱209

$4.93 ₱315

-33.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 ₱508

$6.74 ₱431

17.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱141

$4.12 ₱263

-46.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.4

$1.90 ₱122

-20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$3.19 ₱204

-29.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.0

$2.25 ₱144

-54.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₱110

$3.55 ₱227

-51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱111

$3.50 ₱223

-50.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱39.24

$1.07 ₱68.1

-42.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.17

$1.13 ₱71.9

-56.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.60 ₱166

-29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 ₱539

$7.85 ₱502

7.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.5

$1.29 ₱82.6

-25.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$1.93 ₱124

4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.16

$0.88 ₱56.4

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ₱855

$56.3 ₱3,595

-76.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.83

$0.65 ₱41.59

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.40

$0.21 ₱13.38

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.90 ₱122

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.28 ₱81.6

-15.62%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.56%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-0.61%

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

$31.51 ₱2,013

$151 ₱9,669

-79.18%

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

$16.94 ₱1,082

$15.59 ₱996

8.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 ₱1,467

$31.38 ₱2,005

-26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 ₱2,018

$53.3 ₱3,403

-40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.24 ₱335

$14.04 ₱897

-62.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱316

$7.22 ₱461

-31.44%

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

$132 ₱8,409

$776 ₱49.6K

-83.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱682.3K

$7,391 ₱472.2K

44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.57 ₱1,826

$59.9 ₱3,826

-52.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.15 ₱1,223

$36.96 ₱2,361

-48.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.08 ₱2,497

$81.0 ₱5,177

-51.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.29 ₱1,488

$101 ₱6,446

-76.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₱15.7K

$829 ₱53.0K

-70.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$429 ₱27.4K

-60.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.8K

$2,151 ₱137.4K

-77.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₱22.3K

$1,308 ₱83.6K

-73.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 ₱158.5K

$5,714 ₱365.1K

-56.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₱70.5K

$3,568 ₱228.0K

-69.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 ₱12.9K

$587 ₱37.5K

-65.69%

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 Tuguegarao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tuguegarao

$170 29.8%

Makati

$227 18.5% 33.5% $57

Accommodation & Living

Tuguegarao

$169 29.6%

Makati

$429 34.8% 154% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuguegarao

$71 12.5%

Makati

$198 16.1% 178% $127

Eating Out

Tuguegarao

$52 9.2%

Makati

$121 9.9% 131% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Tuguegarao

$50 8.7%

Makati

$125 10.2% 153% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Tuguegarao

$41 7.3%

Makati

$68 5.5% 63.2% $26

Getting Around

Tuguegarao

$16 2.9%

Makati

$61 5% 278% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $246 in Tuguegarao and $829 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Tuguegarao vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $227 per month, with Tuguegarao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

Same time as Tuguegarao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,334

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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Tuguegarao Makati 350 km

From you

Tuguegarao
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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

Tuguegarao vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuguegarao wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tuguegarao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Tuguegarao. 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: $246 in Tuguegarao versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $570 per month in Tuguegarao versus $1,230 in Makati – Tuguegarao is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tuguegarao runs roughly 76% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $570 in Tuguegarao versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tuguegarao but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Tuguegarao 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, Tuguegarao and Makati are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tuguegarao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.