Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albay and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in Albay and in Baguio: $729 and $748 a month, rent and utilities included.

35

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albay and in Baguio

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albay and in Baguio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in Albay versus $748 in Baguio.

Albay $729
Baguio $748

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,108 in Albay versus $1,157 in Baguio.

Albay $1,108
Baguio $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Albay versus $1,566 in Baguio.

Albay $1,487
Baguio $1,566

Living in Albay costs roughly 3% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Albay 46% lower, Baguio 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ₱241

$3.88 ₱247

-2.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,068

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$2.83 ₱180

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱139

$1.77 ₱113

23.73%

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

$0.63 ₱39.98

$0.57 ₱36.09

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.00

$0.31 ₱19.47

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$0.98 ₱62.0

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.62 ₱103

22.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.68 ₱107

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$1.10 ₱69.9

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.0

$1.01 ₱64.4

-4.95%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$1.99 ₱126

-5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 ₱362

$4.94 ₱314

15.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱268

$3.49 ₱222

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 ₱442

$7.73 ₱491

-10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$2.22 ₱141

4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.1

$1.60 ₱101

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱154

$2.38 ₱151

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$1.03 ₱65.7

13.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.74 ₱111

10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.74 ₱111

12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₱62.1

$0.61 ₱39.07

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.26

$0.49 ₱31.09

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱185

$2.91 ₱185

-0.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₱488

$8.57 ₱545

-10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.0

$0.92 ₱58.7

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.01 ₱128

-2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.10

$0.23 ₱14.53

4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.21 ₱713

$12.79 ₱813

-12.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.89

$0.76 ₱48.14

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.63

$0.25 ₱15.97

-8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱123

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.6

$1.19 ₱75.5

4.20%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

0.02%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

-2.78%

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

$124 ₱7,882

$141 ₱8,991

-12.33%

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

$15.06 ₱957

$17.70 ₱1,125

-14.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 ₱1,569

$23.50 ₱1,493

5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 ₱2,081

$21.59 ₱1,372

51.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.58 ₱291

$5.31 ₱337

-13.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 ₱333

$5.22 ₱332

0.38%

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

$131 ₱8,342

$130 ₱8,257

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,896 ₱501.8K

$10.8K ₱688.9K

-27.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,113

$28.85 ₱1,833

15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.61 ₱1,246

$19.38 ₱1,232

1.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 ₱4,474

$72.3 ₱4,594

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 ₱3,575

$54.9 ₱3,491

2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.6K

$398 ₱25.3K

-34.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$192 ₱12.2K

-11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 ₱32.5K

$838 ₱53.2K

-38.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.3K

$454 ₱28.9K

-22.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₱155.4K

$2,660 ₱169.0K

-8.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 ₱61.9K

$925 ₱58.8K

5.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₱10.3K

$183 ₱11.6K

-11.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Albay

$178 24.5%

Baguio

$173 23.2% 2.8% $4.9

Accommodation & Living

Albay

$170 23.3%

Baguio

$192 25.7% 13.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albay

$164 22.5%

Baguio

$183 24.4% 11.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Albay

$81 11.1%

Baguio

$79 10.6% 2.3% $1.8

Eating Out

Albay

$78 10.8%

Baguio

$72 9.7% 7.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Albay

$43 5.9%

Baguio

$32 4.3% 25.9% $11

Getting Around

Albay

$14 1.9%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 11.9% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Albay and $398 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Albay vs $17 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $178 vs $173, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Albay

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

Same time as Albay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,481

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Albay Baguio 500 km

From you

Albay
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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

Albay vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albay and Baguio differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($729 vs $748 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Albay. 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: $261 in Albay versus $398 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $131 in Albay versus $130 in Baguio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Albay runs roughly 12% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Albay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Albay wins on affordability, Baguio on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.