Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $603 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Cabanatuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $603 in Cabanatuan.

Baguio $737
Cabanatuan $603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $934 in Cabanatuan.

Baguio $1,148
Cabanatuan $934

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,265 in Cabanatuan.

Baguio $1,558
Cabanatuan $1,265

Living in Baguio is roughly 22% more expensive than in Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Cabanatuan 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱251

$3.87 ₱247

1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,064

$16.22 ₱1,036

2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$2.72 ₱174

0.37%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$1.76 ₱112

2.27%

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

$0.55 ₱35.21

$0.60 ₱38.22

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.28

$0.33 ₱21.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.6

$0.99 ₱63.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.2

$1.60 ₱102

-3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.65 ₱105

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.09 ₱69.7

4.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$0.93 ₱59.1

4.30%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.06 ₱132

-3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$4.89 ₱312

4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$3.28 ₱210

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱487

$7.81 ₱499

-2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.24 ₱143

-2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.3

$1.03 ₱66.0

50.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.33 ₱149

-3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$0.76 ₱48.26

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.64 ₱105

5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$1.67 ₱107

1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.24

$0.65 ₱41.83

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.75

$0.49 ₱31.20

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱188

$2.85 ₱182

3.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱543

$8.41 ₱537

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$0.89 ₱57.1

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$2.01 ₱129

1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.25 ₱15.87

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱825

$12.20 ₱779

5.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.9

$0.80 ₱51.4

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.39

$0.24 ₱15.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.83 ₱117

3.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$0.98 ₱62.4

21.43%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

1.28%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.16%

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

$136 ₱8,684

$52.5 ₱3,356

158.78%

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

$17.08 ₱1,091

$17.06 ₱1,090

0.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,470

$21.33 ₱1,363

7.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,326

$10.88 ₱695

90.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

$4.72 ₱302

10.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱322

$5.22 ₱333

-3.64%

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

$132 ₱8,465

$130 ₱8,331

1.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱674.1K

$10.5K ₱671.0K

0.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,847

$23.08 ₱1,475

25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,248

$18.95 ₱1,211

3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,568

$59.0 ₱3,771

21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,507

$55.2 ₱3,530

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$261 ₱16.7K

50.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

$166 ₱10.6K

15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

$431 ₱27.6K

89.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.6K

$308 ₱19.7K

50.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.6K

$2,890 ₱184.6K

9.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.5K

$1,257 ₱80.3K

21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$158 ₱10.1K

13.28%

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 Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6% 13.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1% 48.4% $85

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6% 2.8% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7% 10.6% $8.3

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Cabanatuan

$72 12% 1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5% 30.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5% 3.8% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $261 in Cabanatuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 13% 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 in Baguio vs $16 in Cabanatuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $166 per month, with Cabanatuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

302,231

💱 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

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Baguio Cabanatuan 110 km

From you

Baguio
Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabanatuan wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cabanatuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Baguio, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Baguio versus $261 in Cabanatuan. 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 $603 in Cabanatuan – Cabanatuan is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cabanatuan runs roughly 5% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cabanatuan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Expats usually find Cabanatuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.