Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
Learn more

Butuan Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Butuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $569 in Butuan.

Baguio $737
Butuan $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $899 in Butuan.

Baguio $1,148
Butuan $899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,229 in Butuan.

Baguio $1,558
Butuan $1,229

Living in Baguio is roughly 30% more expensive than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Butuan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱251

$4.66 ₱298

-15.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,064

$26.45 ₱1,690

-37.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$2.32 ₱149

17.67%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.04 ₱131

-11.76%

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

$0.55 ₱35.21

$0.30 ₱19.14

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.28

$0.24 ₱15.34

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.6

$1.58 ₱101

-37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.2

$2.37 ₱151

-35.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.92 ₱123

-17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.11 ₱71.0

2.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$0.90 ₱57.2

7.78%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.83 ₱117

8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$6.42 ₱410

-20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$4.75 ₱303

-31.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱487

$9.41 ₱601

-18.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.65 ₱170

-17.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.3

$1.09 ₱69.7

42.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.40 ₱153

-5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$1.17 ₱74.6

-12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.97 ₱126

-12.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$3.40 ₱218

-50.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.24

$1.18 ₱75.3

-44.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.75

$0.70 ₱44.69

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱188

$2.42 ₱155

21.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱543

$7.68 ₱491

10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$1.27 ₱81.3

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.60 ₱103

28.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.9

$0.81 ₱51.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.39

$0.24 ₱15.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.93 ₱124

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$1.06 ₱68.0

12.26%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.29%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-1.79%

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

$136 ₱8,684

$106 ₱6,755

28.56%

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

$17.08 ₱1,091

$18.42 ₱1,177

-7.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,470

$30.63 ₱1,957

-24.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,326

$23.59 ₱1,507

-12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱322

$4.18 ₱267

20.33%

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

$132 ₱8,465

$106 ₱6,768

25.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱674.1K

$7,473 ₱477.5K

41.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,847

$59.6 ₱3,805

-51.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,248

$30.15 ₱1,926

-35.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,568

$69.0 ₱4,410

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,507

$60.7 ₱3,878

-9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.31

-18.77%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Butuan

$155 27.2% 12.1% $21

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Butuan

$198 34.9% 15.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Butuan

$99 17.3% 25.5% $20

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Butuan

$84 14.7% 14.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Butuan

$32 5.6% 3.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 87.3% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $26 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $198 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

337,063

💱 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 Butuan 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,106 in Baguio and $854 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $569 in Butuan – Butuan is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Butuan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.