Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Budapest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Baguio versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Baguio $755
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Baguio versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Baguio $1,183
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,611 in Baguio versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Baguio $1,611
Budapest $3,489

Living in Baguio costs roughly 53% less than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baguio is 44% below, Budapest is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱249

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-71.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,060

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-72.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱174

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-72.29%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱115

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-45.56%

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

$0.60 ₱37.85

$2.13 Ft 693

-71.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.46

$1.87 Ft 609

-81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-73.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-54.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.13 Ft 369

49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.1

$1.84 Ft 600

-38.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.7

$2.39 Ft 777

-56.90%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-47.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 ₱312

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-56.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 ₱483

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-47.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$1.84 Ft 598

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$2.01 Ft 654

-20.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.36 Ft 767

-1.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-71.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱105

$0.96 Ft 314

73.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.03 Ft 335

66.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱42.02

$1.56 Ft 509

-57.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.24

$0.66 Ft 216

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱188

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-62.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₱548

$6.01 Ft 1,956

45.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$1.30 Ft 422

-25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱131

$2.08 Ft 677

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.77

$1.50 Ft 490

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.66 ₱796

$27.61 Ft 8,991

-54.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.1

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-74.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$1.30 Ft 424

-80.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-90.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.9

$1.81 Ft 591

-30.94%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-27.91%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-43.24%

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

$142 ₱8,935

$170 Ft 55.3K

-16.40%

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

$17.90 ₱1,126

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-25.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 ₱1,495

$23.42 Ft 7,628

1.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 ₱1,325

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-68.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱326

$19.18 Ft 6,245

-72.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 ₱324

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-45.90%

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

$132 ₱8,329

$537 Ft 174.8K

-75.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱677.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.14 ₱1,832

$101 Ft 33.0K

-71.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.94 ₱1,254

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 ₱4,591

$113 Ft 36.7K

-35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,489

$119 Ft 38.7K

-53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.3K

$805 Ft 262.2K

-49.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.2K

$629 Ft 204.9K

-69.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ₱51.8K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-46.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₱28.9K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-60.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 ₱168.4K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-52.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 ₱58.3K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-76.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.6K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-88.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.43

4.98%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 25.8%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 223% $435

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$184 24.4%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 18.3% $34

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$175 23.2%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 47.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$80 10.6%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 112% $89

Eating Out

Baguio

$74 9.8%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 202% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 172% $54

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 176% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Baguio and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 780% 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 $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $258 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

6 h behind Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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 = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Budapest 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Budapest. 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 780% lower in Budapest. 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 $805 in Budapest. 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 $1,621 in Budapest – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 118% less than in Budapest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $755 in Baguio versus $1,621 in Budapest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Budapest. 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 Budapest 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 115% less than in Budapest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.