Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Cauayan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $708 a month against $734 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $310 less a year. The total is higher in Baguio despite lower rent and utilities.

35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cauayan City
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Cauayan City Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Cauayan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Cauayan City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $708 in Cauayan City.

Baguio $734
Cauayan City $708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $1,074 in Cauayan City.

Baguio $1,206
Cauayan City $1,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,440 in Cauayan City.

Baguio $1,677
Cauayan City $1,440

Living in Baguio is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cauayan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Cauayan City 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₱197

$3.97 ₱252

-21.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 ₱1,520

$16.34 ₱1,038

46.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱172

$2.77 ₱176

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₱107

$1.82 ₱116

-7.14%

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

$0.67 ₱42.64

$0.55 ₱35.00

21.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.51

$0.33 ₱21.10

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.00 ₱63.7

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.55 ₱98.3

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱113

$1.63 ₱104

9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₱55.7

$1.15 ₱73.0

-23.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$0.93 ₱59.3

4.30%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱116

$2.04 ₱129

-10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱302

$4.67 ₱296

1.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ₱205

$3.34 ₱212

-3.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$7.90 ₱502

-11.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$2.26 ₱143

14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱135

$1.55 ₱98.7

37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ₱177

$2.38 ₱151

17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.05 ₱66.7

-12.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ₱88.3

$1.65 ₱105

-15.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.8

$1.69 ₱107

-18.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.40

$0.87 ₱55.4

-25.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.24

$0.52 ₱33.30

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱178

$2.98 ₱189

-5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₱444

$8.57 ₱544

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱48.85

$0.90 ₱57.3

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₱189

$1.95 ₱124

52.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.98

$0.24 ₱15.32

4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 ₱920

$12.29 ₱780

17.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.8

$0.76 ₱48.54

31.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.22 ₱13.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.94 ₱123

-4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱82.7

$0.91 ₱57.9

42.86%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-1.67%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

2.10%

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

$94.4 ₱5,994

$136 ₱8,657

-30.76%

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

$16.64 ₱1,056

$10.33 ₱656

61.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ₱1,960

$22.72 ₱1,442

35.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 ₱1,751

$30.67 ₱1,947

-10.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₱491

$5.33 ₱338

45.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱299

$4.97 ₱316

-5.03%

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

$1,019 ₱64.7K

$131 ₱8,285

680.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 ₱333.8K

$10.6K ₱670.7K

-50.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 ₱3,173

$28.11 ₱1,785

77.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₱2,402

$19.23 ₱1,221

96.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,560

$53.9 ₱3,422

33.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₱5,064

$55.8 ₱3,542

42.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.6K

$247 ₱15.7K

56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.4K

$166 ₱10.5K

17.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 ₱65.5K

$479 ₱30.4K

115.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.5K

$353 ₱22.4K

45.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 ₱255.5K

$2,605 ₱165.4K

54.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.9K

$1,114 ₱70.7K

37.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.70%

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

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cauayan City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 26.6%

Cauayan City

$166 23.4% 15% $29

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$168 22.9%

Cauayan City

$173 24.5% 3% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$142 19.3%

Cauayan City

$169 23.9% 19.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$108 14.7%

Cauayan City

$71 10% 34.4% $37

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.1%

Cauayan City

$74 10.4% 9.9% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$37 5%

Cauayan City

$41 5.7% 9.7% $3.6

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Cauayan City

$15 2.1% 14.1% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $247 in Cauayan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $16 in Cauayan City. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $173, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Cauayan City

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

2,616

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Baguio Cauayan City 140 km

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Baguio
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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 Cauayan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cauayan City wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cauayan City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,102 in Baguio and $1,062 in Cauayan City 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Baguio versus $247 in Cauayan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Baguio versus $708 in Cauayan City – Cauayan City is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cauayan City runs roughly 15% 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 Cauayan City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.