Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Boracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $915 in Boracay, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Boracay

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 Boracay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $915 in Boracay.

Baguio $737
Boracay $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,349 in Boracay.

Baguio $1,148
Boracay $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,783 in Boracay.

Baguio $1,558
Boracay $1,783

Living in Baguio costs roughly 19% less than in Boracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Boracay 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱251

$5.31 ₱339

-26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,064

$18.68 ₱1,193

-10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$5.97 ₱381

-54.27%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.32 ₱148

-22.41%

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

$0.55 ₱35.21

$0.69 ₱44.12

-20.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.28

$0.22 ₱14.01

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.6

$1.19 ₱76.1

-16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.2

$2.01 ₱129

-23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$2.93 ₱187

-45.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.27 ₱81.4

-10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$0.90 ₱57.4

7.78%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.89 ₱121

5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$5.04 ₱322

1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$3.89 ₱248

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱487

$6.49 ₱414

17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.29 ₱146

-4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.3

$1.50 ₱96.0

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.03 ₱130

11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$1.29 ₱82.2

-20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.19 ₱140

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.14 ₱137

-21.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.24

$0.92 ₱58.6

-29.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.75

$0.59 ₱37.42

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱188

$2.29 ₱147

28.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱543

$7.61 ₱486

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$0.90 ₱57.2

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.97 ₱126

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.22 ₱14.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱825

$10.67 ₱682

20.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.9

$0.66 ₱42.39

22.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.39

$0.24 ₱15.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.76 ₱113

7.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$1.10 ₱70.3

8.18%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$22.9K ₱1.5M

-7.15%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

-7.38%

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

$136 ₱8,684

$109 ₱6,934

25.23%

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

$17.08 ₱1,091

$15.54 ₱993

9.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,470

$33.36 ₱2,131

-31.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,326

$33.49 ₱2,140

-38.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

$4.90 ₱313

6.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱322

$5.21 ₱333

-3.45%

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

$132 ₱8,465

$141 ₱8,983

-5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱674.1K

$7,871 ₱502.9K

34.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,847

$27.63 ₱1,766

4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,248

$18.45 ₱1,179

5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,568

$67.3 ₱4,298

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,507

$51.7 ₱3,304

6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$248 ₱15.8K

58.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

$337 ₱21.5K

-42.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

$489 ₱31.2K

67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.6K

$589 ₱37.6K

-21.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.6K

$2,586 ₱165.2K

22.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.5K

$1,129 ₱72.1K

35.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$230 ₱14.7K

-22.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.92

-2.46%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Boracay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Boracay

$337 36.8% 75.3% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Boracay

$157 17.2% 10.6% $19

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Boracay

$187 20.5% 9.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Boracay

$74 8.1% 5.6% $4.4

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Boracay

$102 11.1% 40% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Boracay

$44 4.8% 42.4% $13

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Boracay

$13 1.5% 15.2% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $248 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boracay pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $19 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $187 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

12,296

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Boracay 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Boracay

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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Boracay. 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 22% lower in Baguio. 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: $393 in Baguio versus $248 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $915 in Boracay – Baguio is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Boracay runs roughly 17% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Boracay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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