Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamboanga and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $734 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index

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Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Zamboanga versus $1,230 in Makati.

Zamboanga $734
Makati $1,230

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,106 in Zamboanga versus $2,137 in Makati.

Zamboanga $1,106
Makati $2,137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,478 in Zamboanga versus $3,044 in Makati.

Zamboanga $1,478
Makati $3,044

Living in Zamboanga costs roughly 40% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zamboanga 46% lower, Makati 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.31 ₱83.6

$6.40 ₱409

-79.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.01 ₱1,023

$38.45 ₱2,457

-58.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.32 ₱212

$4.78 ₱306

-30.54%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ₱128

$2.59 ₱166

-22.39%

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

$0.84 ₱53.6

$1.09 ₱69.9

-22.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱25.33

$0.49 ₱31.39

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₱91.6

$2.39 ₱153

-40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$3.18 ₱203

-36.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱114

$1.80 ₱115

-1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱90.1

$1.26 ₱80.8

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.03 ₱65.9

6.80%

Eggs

$1.50 ₱95.9

$2.37 ₱151

-36.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ₱651

$6.91 ₱441

47.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱255

$4.93 ₱315

-19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.28 ₱210

$6.74 ₱431

-51.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₱198

$4.12 ₱263

-24.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ₱75.4

$1.90 ₱122

-37.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₱238

$3.19 ₱204

16.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱72.5

$2.25 ₱144

-49.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ₱78.2

$3.55 ₱227

-65.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₱160

$3.50 ₱223

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ₱55.2

$1.07 ₱68.1

-19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.53

$1.13 ₱71.9

-56.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 ₱170

$2.60 ₱166

2.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.06 ₱260

$7.85 ₱502

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱82.1

$1.29 ₱82.6

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱125

$1.93 ₱124

1.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.30

$0.88 ₱56.4

-76.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.20 ₱907

$56.3 ₱3,595

-74.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱48.14

$0.65 ₱41.59

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.15

$0.21 ₱13.38

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₱104

$1.90 ₱122

-14.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₱64.1

$1.28 ₱81.6

-21.88%

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

$20.0K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-3.81%

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

$17.5K ₱1.1M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

-7.00%

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

$118 ₱7,556

$151 ₱9,669

-21.85%

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

$15.99 ₱1,021

$15.59 ₱996

2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.02 ₱3,004

$31.38 ₱2,005

49.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.45 ₱2,265

$53.3 ₱3,403

-33.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱330

$14.04 ₱897

-63.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 ₱331

$7.22 ₱461

-28.12%

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

$129 ₱8,256

$776 ₱49.6K

-83.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,770 ₱496.5K

$7,391 ₱472.2K

5.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 ₱2,056

$59.9 ₱3,826

-46.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.70 ₱1,323

$36.96 ₱2,361

-43.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ₱4,424

$81.0 ₱5,177

-14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 ₱3,536

$101 ₱6,446

-45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$829 ₱53.0K

-69.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.7K

$429 ₱27.4K

-61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 ₱21.3K

$2,151 ₱137.4K

-84.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$1,308 ₱83.6K

-73.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,716 ₱173.6K

$5,714 ₱365.1K

-52.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ₱70.4K

$3,568 ₱228.0K

-69.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 ₱11.9K

$587 ₱37.5K

-68.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.5

-7.73%

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

Last update for Zamboanga: 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

Zamboanga

$182 24.8%

Makati

$227 18.5% 24.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zamboanga

$181 24.7%

Makati

$198 16.1% 9.4% $17

Accommodation & Living

Zamboanga

$167 22.7%

Makati

$429 34.8% 157% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Zamboanga

$80 10.9%

Makati

$125 10.2% 57.1% $46

Eating Out

Zamboanga

$61 8.3%

Makati

$121 9.9% 100% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Zamboanga

$46 6.3%

Makati

$68 5.5% 47.8% $22

Getting Around

Zamboanga

$17 2.3%

Makati

$61 5% 264% $45

Cost Breakdown

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

Makati pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Zamboanga vs $38 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $227 per month, with Zamboanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

Same time as Zamboanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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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Between locations

Zamboanga Makati 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Zamboanga
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

Zamboanga vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zamboanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Zamboanga. 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 Zamboanga versus $829 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Zamboanga versus $1,230 in Makati – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zamboanga runs roughly 75% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $734 in Zamboanga versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.