Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $970 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Bansko

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Baguio versus $970 in Bansko.

Baguio $755
Bansko $970

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Baguio versus $1,464 in Bansko.

Baguio $1,183
Bansko $1,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,611 in Baguio versus $1,957 in Bansko.

Baguio $1,611
Bansko $1,957

Living in Baguio costs roughly 22% less than in Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 44% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱249

$8.66 BGN 15.15

-54.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,060

$46.63 BGN 81.6

-63.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱174

$9.01 BGN 15.77

-69.37%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱115

$2.24 BGN 3.92

-17.86%

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

$0.60 ₱37.85

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.46

$0.86 BGN 1.51

-60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$1.76 BGN 3.07

-42.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$2.00 BGN 3.51

-18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.1

$0.81 BGN 1.42

39.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.7

$1.52 BGN 2.66

-32.24%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$2.30 BGN 4.02

-12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 ₱312

$9.60 BGN 16.81

-48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$6.32 BGN 11.06

-46.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 ₱483

$8.64 BGN 15.12

-11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$1.28 BGN 2.24

80.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$1.68 BGN 2.95

-4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.70 BGN 2.98

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$1.89 BGN 3.30

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱105

$0.93 BGN 1.63

79.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$0.76 BGN 1.32

126.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱42.02

$0.54 BGN 0.95

24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.24

$0.58 BGN 1.02

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱188

$3.44 BGN 6.02

-13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₱548

$5.14 BGN 9.00

69.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$1.11 BGN 1.94

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱131

$1.70 BGN 2.97

22.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.77

$0.88 BGN 1.55

-71.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.66 ₱796

$26.76 BGN 46.83

-52.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.1

$1.29 BGN 2.26

-35.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.65 BGN 1.14

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$10.18 BGN 17.81

-81.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.9

$1.50 BGN 2.63

-16.67%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$28.8K BGN 50.4K

-26.62%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$21.5K BGN 37.5K

-9.76%

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

$142 ₱8,935

$91.4 BGN 160

55.37%

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

$17.90 ₱1,126

$14.68 BGN 25.68

21.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 ₱1,495

$12.07 BGN 21.12

96.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 ₱1,325

$32.28 BGN 56.5

-34.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱326

$8.60 BGN 15.05

-39.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 ₱324

$5.63 BGN 9.86

-8.53%

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

$132 ₱8,329

$228 BGN 400

-42.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱677.2K

$2,311 BGN 4,045

365.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.14 ₱1,832

$30.48 BGN 53.3

-4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.94 ₱1,254

$19.01 BGN 33.26

4.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 ₱4,591

$45.53 BGN 79.7

60.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,489

$48.67 BGN 85.2

13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.3K

$521 BGN 913

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.2K

$367 BGN 643

-47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ₱51.8K

$634 BGN 1,110

29.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₱28.9K

$558 BGN 976

-17.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 ₱168.4K

$1,204 BGN 2,106

122.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 ₱58.3K

$971 BGN 1,699

-4.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.6K

$1,670 BGN 2,923

-88.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

2.99

125.75%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bansko: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 25.8%

Bansko

$367 38% 88.8% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$184 24.4%

Bansko

$118 12.2% 35.7% $66

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$175 23.2%

Bansko

$193 20% 10.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$80 10.6%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 19.1% $15

Eating Out

Baguio

$74 9.8%

Bansko

$145 15% 96% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Bansko

$44 4.5% 38.8% $12

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Bansko

$35 3.6% 121% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Baguio and $521 in Bansko. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bansko pays 805% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $47.00 in Bansko for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $193 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

14:14 2:14 PM

5 h behind Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

8,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.47 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Bansko 9,370 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Bansko

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

Baguio vs Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Bansko. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 805% lower in Bansko. 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: $403 in Baguio versus $521 in Bansko. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $755 per month in Baguio versus $970 in Bansko – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 111% less than in Bansko. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $755 in Baguio versus $970 in Bansko, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Bansko. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $755 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Bansko are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Bansko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.