Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $510 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Calamba
Learn more

Calamba Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Calamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $510 in Calamba.

Baguio $737
Calamba $510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $752 in Calamba.

Baguio $1,148
Calamba $752

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $994 in Calamba.

Baguio $1,558
Calamba $994

Living in Baguio is roughly 44% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱249

$3.82 ₱243

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,058

$11.63 ₱739

43.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱173

$2.68 ₱170

1.87%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱114

$1.75 ₱111

2.86%

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

$0.55 ₱34.99

$0.59 ₱37.59

-6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.15

$0.30 ₱19.31

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.2

$0.92 ₱58.4

7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.6

$1.60 ₱101

-3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.66 ₱105

-4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.13 ₱71.8

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$0.94 ₱59.9

3.19%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱126

$1.99 ₱127

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱324

$4.89 ₱311

4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

$3.42 ₱217

-4.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱484

$7.51 ₱477

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$2.25 ₱143

-2.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱98.7

$1.50 ₱95.2

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$2.30 ₱146

-1.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.7

$1.02 ₱64.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.67 ₱106

3.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$1.75 ₱111

-3.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱40.99

$0.64 ₱40.68

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.55

$0.51 ₱32.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.87 ₱182

2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱540

$8.66 ₱550

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.1

$0.95 ₱60.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$2.03 ₱129

0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱820

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$0.80 ₱50.7

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.30

$0.24 ₱15.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.86 ₱118

2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱75.8

$0.90 ₱56.9

32.22%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

3.45%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.05%

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

$136 ₱8,631

$137 ₱8,687

-0.65%

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

$17.08 ₱1,085

$17.32 ₱1,100

-1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,461

$23.37 ₱1,484

-1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,318

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱332

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱320

$5.12 ₱325

-1.76%

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

$132 ₱8,414

$129 ₱8,177

2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱670.1K

$10.6K ₱672.6K

-0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,836

$27.97 ₱1,776

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,240

$19.17 ₱1,217

1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,541

$71.4 ₱4,532

0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,486

$54.7 ₱3,472

0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱200.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$249 ₱15.8K

-28.11%

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 Calamba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Calamba

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Calamba

$178 34.8% 0.9% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Calamba

$172 33.7% 0.4% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Calamba

$78 15.3% 0.9% $0.7

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Calamba

$71 13.9% 2.5% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Calamba

$10 * 2% 66.8% $21

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Calamba

$2 * 0.4% 87.3% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Calamba pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $12 in Calamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $172, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Calamba

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

539,671

💱 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 Calamba 250 km

From you

Baguio
Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $510 in Calamba – Calamba is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Calamba – a meal for two runs $12 versus $17 in Baguio. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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