Makati vs Marawi: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Makati ranks meaningfully higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Makati is approximately 10.3x more expensive than Marawi based on cost of living including rent. This makes Marawi a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Marawi has a FIRE Score of N/A/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 25, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Marawi is best suited for digital nomads who prioritize experience over savings.
About Makati
Makati is the rare Asian business capital where a single adult can live on a budget tier of $646/mo and still walk to a decent cappuccino for $3. The catch is that local salaries average $607/mo, so unless you earn abroad or hold a remote contract, the math simply does not work. Expats who do arrive find a large, active community, widely spoken English, and a digital nomad score of 84/100, though the air quality index of 68 and a safety index of 70 mean this is a city you enjoy with your guard up. Pick Salcedo Village, Legaspi Village, or Rockwell Center if you want the polished version of Manila without actually living in Manila.
About Philippines
Retirees on fixed incomes near the $1,500/mo SRRV minimum get the best deal here: rent outside the center runs under $200 and English is widely spoken, easing daily friction. But that low cost sits against a -1.1 political stability score and only medium expat safety ratings, so this suits people who can tolerate some instability for cash savings. Bad fit: anyone needing top-tier healthcare or a guaranteed path to citizenship.
$2,059/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Marawi
Marawi is cheap even by Philippine standards, with a city-center one-bedroom at $80/mo and an inexpensive restaurant meal at $2, but a $287/mo average net salary means locals and remote workers alike are stretching thin. The safety index of 25/100 and crime index of 75/100 are the real deal-breakers, and poor healthcare plus limited English proficiency makes daily life harder than the price tag suggests. Add heavy monsoon rains from June to November and an air quality index of 68, and this is a stop for the intrepid or the rooted, not the average expat.
About Philippines
Retirees on fixed incomes near the $1,500/mo SRRV minimum get the best deal here: rent outside the center runs under $200 and English is widely spoken, easing daily friction. But that low cost sits against a -1.1 political stability score and only medium expat safety ratings, so this suits people who can tolerate some instability for cash savings. Bad fit: anyone needing top-tier healthcare or a guaranteed path to citizenship.
$1,603/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
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| Metric | Makati | Marawi |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $819.67 | $79.7 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $423.47 | $31.88 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $2298.01 | $318.8 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $1075.95 | $191.28 |
| Safety Index | 70 | 25 |
| Internet Speed | 95Mbps | 20Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Makati | Marawi |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $973/mo | N/A |
| Excluding rent | $550/mo | N/A |
| Rent | $423/mo | N/A |
| Groceries | $125/mo | N/A |
| Dining out | $64.00/mo | N/A |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $101/mo | N/A |
| Utilities & connectivity | $203/mo | N/A |
| Transport | $57.00/mo | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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Makati vs Marawi -- Frequently Asked Questions
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