Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacolod and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $757 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bacolod
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Bacolod Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Bacolod vs $757 in Baguio, rent included.

Bacolod $607
Baguio $757

A couple spends around $885 per month in Bacolod vs $1,171 in Baguio, rent included.

Bacolod $885
Baguio $1,171

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Bacolod vs $1,585 in Baguio, rent included.

Bacolod $1,162
Baguio $1,585

Bacolod is about 20% cheaper than Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bacolod and Baguio are more affordable than the global median – Bacolod 55% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 ₱147

$4.04 ₱255

-42.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 ₱810

$16.77 ₱1,056

-23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 ₱254

$2.85 ₱180

41.40%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$1.86 ₱117

32.26%

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

$0.70 ₱43.96

$0.59 ₱37.34

18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.61

$0.30 ₱19.17

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.97 ₱61.3

41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.57 ₱98.9

13.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.69 ₱106

-4.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$1.12 ₱70.7

3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$0.96 ₱60.5

-1.04%

Eggs

$1.66 ₱105

$2.03 ₱128

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₱561

$5.22 ₱329

70.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 ₱437

$3.34 ₱210

108.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 ₱506

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$2.31 ₱145

45.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.59 ₱100

52.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₱33.60

$1.08 ₱67.7

-50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.76 ₱111

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.85

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$0.50 ₱31.33

106.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ₱175

$2.87 ₱181

-3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 ₱567

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.4

$0.92 ₱57.8

-1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱127

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₱11.18

$0.25 ₱15.84

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₱38.66

$0.77 ₱48.34

-20.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.5

$1.25 ₱78.7

2.40%

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

$22.1K ₱1.4M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

2.71%

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

$24.0K ₱1.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

26.30%

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

$137 ₱8,646

$138 ₱8,682

-0.41%

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

$7.99 ₱503

$17.71 ₱1,115

-54.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 ₱1,776

$23.76 ₱1,496

18.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.87 ₱999

$21.05 ₱1,325

-24.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 ₱153

$5.19 ₱327

-52.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$5.30 ₱334

-17.55%

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

$31.23 ₱1,966

$135 ₱8,486

-76.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱673.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.76 ₱1,811

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.76 ₱1,244

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,479

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,551

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₱16.8K

$409 ₱25.8K

-34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₱11.2K

$200 ₱12.6K

-10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₱29.9K

$836 ₱52.6K

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.8K

$466 ₱29.3K

-25.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 ₱166.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$930 ₱58.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ₱13.0K

$182 ₱11.4K

13.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacolod

$178 29.4%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 11.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacolod

$174 28.6%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 3.4% $5.8

Groceries & Markets

Bacolod

$155 * 25.5%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 13.9% $21

Eating Out

Bacolod

$75 12.4%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bacolod

$25 4.1%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 28.6% $7

Getting Around

Bacolod

$1.3 * 0.2%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 1099% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bacolod

- * 0%

Baguio

$79 10.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Bacolod versus $409 in Baguio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Bacolod, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod versus $17.00 in Baguio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $176 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

Same time as Bacolod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

561,875

366,358

💱 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

Bacolod Baguio 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bacolod
Baguio

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

Bacolod vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $607 in Bacolod, $757 in Baguio – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Bacolod and $1,135 in Baguio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod and $17.00 in Baguio. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Baguio, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $607 in Bacolod and $757 in Baguio, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Bacolod has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $757 in Baguio. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bacolod. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baguio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.