Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Davao

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $839 in Davao, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Davao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $839 in Davao.

Baguio $737
Davao $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,275 in Davao.

Baguio $1,148
Davao $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,712 in Davao.

Baguio $1,558
Davao $1,712

Living in Baguio costs roughly 12% less than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Davao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱249

$4.71 ₱299

-16.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,058

$26.33 ₱1,672

-36.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱173

$3.83 ₱243

-28.72%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱114

$2.53 ₱161

-28.85%

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

$0.55 ₱34.99

$1.06 ₱67.3

-48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.15

$0.62 ₱39.64

-46.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.2

$1.53 ₱97.0

-35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.6

$2.38 ₱151

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.96 ₱125

-18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.07 ₱68.0

6.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$0.91 ₱57.9

6.59%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱126

$1.84 ₱117

8.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱324

$6.41 ₱407

-20.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

$4.59 ₱292

-28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱484

$8.97 ₱570

-14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$2.68 ₱170

-18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱98.7

$1.06 ₱67.3

46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$2.43 ₱154

-7.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.7

$1.14 ₱72.3

-10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.99 ₱126

-13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$3.35 ₱213

-49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱40.99

$1.24 ₱78.6

-47.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.55

$0.71 ₱45.03

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.46 ₱156

19.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱540

$7.99 ₱507

6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.1

$1.27 ₱80.5

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.58 ₱100

29.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.21 ₱13.33

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱820

$13.16 ₱836

-1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$0.81 ₱51.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.30

$0.24 ₱15.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.83 ₱116

3.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱75.8

$1.22 ₱77.2

-2.46%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-0.36%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.37%

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

$136 ₱8,631

$105 ₱6,661

29.56%

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

$17.08 ₱1,085

$19.14 ₱1,215

-10.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,461

$30.17 ₱1,916

-23.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,318

$34.37 ₱2,183

-39.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱332

$3.44 ₱218

52.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱320

$4.75 ₱302

5.89%

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

$132 ₱8,414

$104 ₱6,623

27.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱670.1K

$7,536 ₱478.6K

40.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,836

$61.0 ₱3,877

-52.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,240

$30.74 ₱1,952

-36.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,541

$69.7 ₱4,425

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,486

$60.1 ₱3,816

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.0K

$350 ₱22.2K

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$229 ₱14.6K

-16.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.0K

$723 ₱45.9K

13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.4K

$404 ₱25.6K

14.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱200.4K

$1,584 ₱100.6K

99.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.9K

$1,364 ₱86.6K

11.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$207 ₱13.1K

-13.52%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Davao

$229 27.3% 19.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Davao

$154 18.4% 12.4% $22

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Davao

$197 23.5% 15.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Davao

$100 11.9% 26.7% $21

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Davao

$99 11.8% 35.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Davao

$44 5.2% 42.3% $13

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Davao

$16 1.9% 1.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $350 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Davao pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $26 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $197 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

1,632,991

💱 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 Davao 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Davao

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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Davao. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Baguio versus $350 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Davao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $839 in Davao – Baguio is about 12% 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 Davao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Baguio wins on affordability, Davao on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.