Ann Gabriel | ExecutiveChronicles
Working in Makati city is not cheap, most especially if you have been commuting from Las Pinas, which nowadays has become a one and a half hour travel. I asked my dad and a few friends about this and here is what I found out. A Makati city employee spends more than P 80,000 a year on everything that goes into getting ready for, going to and being at work every day.
How much really is the cost of working in Makati?
My study examined the costs of driving, taking public transportation, eating lunch, drinking coffee and buying work clothes, as a way for employees to get a better handle on how to budget their salaries.
Among the expenses that the average Makati city employee has to incur are as follows:
- Driving: For those bringing their car to their Makati office, they get to spend around P 2000 per week for gasoline and parking fees.
- Public transportation: For those taking the UV Express or the bus to work spend more than P 400 to P 700 each week to do so.
- Lunch: While it is best for employees to bring packed lunch everyday, for those who doesn’t have the time to prepare and for those who simply don’t, they usually spend P 500 to P 1000 a week to eat out. It’s going to be cheaper if they usually eat or buy food from Jolli-Jeeps. If not, the only alternative is to eat in fast food joints and other fancy restaurants.
- Coffee: For coffee lovers, who go to coffee shops on a daily basis, they incur as much as P 850 to P 1500 each week. A tall sized coffee costs around P 170, much more if these are the special blends that coffee shops offer.
- Gym: Gym enthusiasts spend as much as P 1000 each month on memberships
- Apparel: Three out of four employees spend not less than P 10,000 a year on clothing, shoes and accessories.
