Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vigan and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Vigan: $718 a month against $1,228 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Vigan
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Vigan Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Vigan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Vigan versus $1,228 in Makati.

Vigan $718
Makati $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,125 in Vigan versus $2,028 in Makati.

Vigan $1,125
Makati $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,533 in Vigan versus $2,828 in Makati.

Vigan $1,533
Makati $2,828

Living in Vigan costs roughly 42% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vigan 47% lower, Makati 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 ₱245

$6.22 ₱392

-37.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.49 ₱1,038

$39.57 ₱2,491

-58.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.77 ₱112

$4.88 ₱307

-63.73%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱116

$2.55 ₱161

-27.84%

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

$0.55 ₱34.93

$1.06 ₱67.0

-48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.81

$0.50 ₱31.54

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₱62.0

$2.38 ₱150

-58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱97.8

$3.21 ₱202

-51.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱105

$1.90 ₱120

-12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$1.29 ₱81.5

-12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.06 ₱67.0

-10.38%

Eggs

$2.01 ₱126

$2.47 ₱155

-18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 ₱323

$7.29 ₱459

-29.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ₱216

$4.86 ₱306

-29.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₱498

$7.03 ₱442

12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$4.04 ₱254

-43.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.94 ₱122

-20.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$3.22 ₱203

-27.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$2.29 ₱144

-55.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$3.48 ₱219

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$3.59 ₱226

-52.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.63

$1.06 ₱66.8

-42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.07

$1.11 ₱69.7

-52.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.69 ₱169

8.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 ₱550

$8.11 ₱511

7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱61.5

$1.32 ₱82.9

-25.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱129

$1.98 ₱124

4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.21

$0.90 ₱56.4

-73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.80 ₱680

$56.8 ₱3,575

-80.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$0.67 ₱41.91

22.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.46

$0.21 ₱13.16

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.93 ₱121

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$1.25 ₱78.8

1.60%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

1.16%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

0.31%

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

$139 ₱8,723

$153 ₱9,620

-9.32%

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

$17.81 ₱1,121

$16.06 ₱1,011

10.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.55 ₱1,483

$32.37 ₱2,038

-27.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.22 ₱2,091

$54.9 ₱3,456

-39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.06 ₱319

$14.14 ₱890

-64.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 ₱321

$7.22 ₱454

-29.36%

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

$131 ₱8,268

$794 ₱50.0K

-83.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱668.5K

$7,321 ₱460.9K

45.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.39 ₱1,787

$61.2 ₱3,850

-53.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.84 ₱1,249

$36.86 ₱2,321

-46.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,555

$81.5 ₱5,129

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,526

$103 ₱6,510

-45.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 ₱14.4K

$815 ₱51.3K

-71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₱9,812

$417 ₱26.3K

-62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 ₱33.0K

$2,274 ₱143.2K

-76.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₱25.5K

$1,069 ₱67.3K

-62.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 ₱155.2K

$5,869 ₱369.5K

-57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 ₱63.1K

$3,738 ₱235.4K

-73.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

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 Vigan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vigan

$180 25.1%

Makati

$201 16.4% 11.8% $21

Groceries & Markets

Vigan

$175 24.4%

Makati

$231 18.8% 32% $56

Accommodation & Living

Vigan

$156 21.7%

Makati

$417 34% 168% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Vigan

$79 11.1%

Makati

$127 10.4% 60.2% $48

Eating Out

Vigan

$70 9.8%

Makati

$120 9.7% 70.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Vigan

$43 6.1%

Makati

$69 5.6% 59.7% $26

Getting Around

Vigan

$14 1.9%

Makati

$62 5.1% 352% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Vigan and $815 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Vigan vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $231 per month, with Vigan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Vigan

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Vigan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,879

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vigan Makati 340 km

From you

Vigan
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

Vigan vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vigan wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vigan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,077 in Vigan and $1,842 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: $228 in Vigan versus $815 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $718 per month in Vigan versus $1,228 in Makati – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Vigan runs roughly 426% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $718 in Vigan versus $1,228 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vigan but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Vigan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vigan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vigan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Vigan and Makati are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.