Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Dasmarinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $487 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Baguio, Philippines
Dasmarinas, Philippines
Baguio
🇵🇭 Philippines
$737
/mo nomad
Dasmarinas
🇵🇭 Philippines
$487
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Dasmarinas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $487 in Dasmarinas.

  • Baguio $737
  • Dasmarinas $487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $723 in Dasmarinas.

  • Baguio $1,148
  • Dasmarinas $723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $959 in Dasmarinas.

  • Baguio $1,558
  • Dasmarinas $959

Living in Baguio is roughly 52% more expensive than in Dasmarinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Dasmarinas 64% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.92 ₱250
$3.97 ₱253
-1.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.66 ₱1,061
$16.74 ₱1,066
-0.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.73 ₱174
$2.80 ₱178
-2.50%
Cappuccino
$1.80 ₱114
$1.75 ₱111
2.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₱35.10
$0.55 ₱34.95
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱21.21
$0.32 ₱20.69
3.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 ₱63.4
$0.96 ₱60.9
3.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱97.9
$1.59 ₱101
-3.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ₱101
$1.36 ₱86.9
16.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₱72.9
$1.09 ₱69.3
4.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 ₱61.5
$0.69 ₱43.90
40.58%
Eggs
$1.99 ₱127
$1.75 ₱112
13.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.11 ₱325
$4.98 ₱317
2.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.27 ₱208
$3.31 ₱211
-1.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.63 ₱486
$4.52 ₱288
68.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 ₱139
$2.16 ₱137
1.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ₱99.0
$1.58 ₱101
-1.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 ₱144
$2.29 ₱146
-1.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ₱64.9
$1.01 ₱64.4
0.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 ₱110
$1.69 ₱108
2.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱108
$1.67 ₱106
1.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ₱41.11
$0.61 ₱39.04
6.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₱32.64
$0.52 ₱32.82
-1.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.94 ₱187
$2.82 ₱180
4.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.50 ₱541
$8.65 ₱551
-1.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₱60.3
$0.89 ₱56.8
6.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ₱131
$2.05 ₱131
-
🚌 Getting Around
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱14.01
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.90 ₱822
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 ₱51.7
$0.81 ₱51.4
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 ₱15.35
$0.22 ₱13.93
9.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 ₱121
$1.84 ₱117
3.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ₱76.0
$1.12 ₱71.2
6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K ₱1.4M
$20.7K ₱1.3M
2.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K ₱1.2M
$19.0K ₱1.2M
-0.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 ₱8,657
$46.50 ₱2,961
192.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.08 ₱1,088
$16.94 ₱1,079
0.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.01 ₱1,465
$23.10 ₱1,471
-0.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.76 ₱1,322
$33.40 ₱2,127
-37.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.23 ₱333
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 ₱321
$4.95 ₱316
1.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,438
$133 ₱8,439
-0.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₱672.0K
$10.6K ₱673.3K
-0.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.91 ₱1,841
$28.83 ₱1,836
0.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.53 ₱1,244
$18.88 ₱1,202
3.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ₱4,554
$70.6 ₱4,498
1.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.9 ₱3,496
$55.2 ₱3,515
-0.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$393 ₱25.1K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ₱12.2K
$47.44 ₱3,021
305.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$819 ₱52.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 ₱29.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,156 ₱201.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,526 ₱97.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Baguio
Dasmarinas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$179 ₱11.4K
$350 ₱22.3K
-48.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
6.4
5.47%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Baguio
$192
Dasmarinas
$47 75.3% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
$176
Dasmarinas
$87 50.8% $89
Groceries & Markets
Baguio
$171
Dasmarinas
$157 8.5% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
$79
Dasmarinas
$78 0.7% $0.6
Eating Out
Baguio
$73
Dasmarinas
$73 0.2% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
$31
Dasmarinas
$43 40.5% $12
Getting Around
Baguio
$16
Dasmarinas
$1.9 * 88% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

Dasmarinas pays 96% 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 $17 in Dasmarinas. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $157, with Dasmarinas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Baguio
🇵🇭 Dasmarinas
🕒 Local time
14:09 2:09 PM
14:09 2:09 PM
Same time as Baguio
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
366,358
659,019
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Baguio Dasmarinas 230 km
From you
  • Baguio
  • Dasmarinas

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 Dasmarinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Baguio or Dasmarinas?
Dasmarinas wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dasmarinas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Baguio or in Dasmarinas?
On paper, salaries run 49% 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.
How much does it cost to live in Baguio compared to Dasmarinas?
All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $487 in Dasmarinas – Dasmarinas is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Are groceries more expensive in Baguio or in Dasmarinas?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Baguio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Baguio or in Dasmarinas?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dasmarinas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How safe is Baguio compared to Dasmarinas?
Safety-wise, Baguio and Dasmarinas are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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