Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Dipolog

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $602 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.

Baguio, Philippines
Dipolog, Philippines
Baguio
🇵🇭 Philippines
$737
/mo nomad
Dipolog
🇵🇭 Philippines
$602
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Dipolog

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $602 in Dipolog.

  • Baguio $737
  • Dipolog $602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $839 in Dipolog.

  • Baguio $1,148
  • Dipolog $839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,076 in Dipolog.

  • Baguio $1,558
  • Dipolog $1,076

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.92 ₱251
$1.36 ₱86.9
188.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.66 ₱1,064
$19.30 ₱1,233
-13.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.73 ₱174
$2.72 ₱174
0.37%
Cappuccino
$1.80 ₱115
$2.02 ₱129
-10.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₱35.21
$0.64 ₱40.78
-14.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱21.28
$0.29 ₱18.75
13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 ₱63.6
$1.04 ₱66.6
-4.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱98.2
$1.72 ₱110
-10.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ₱101
$1.60 ₱102
-0.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₱73.1
$0.77 ₱48.93
48.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 ₱61.7
$0.82 ₱52.5
18.29%
Eggs
$1.99 ₱127
$1.87 ₱119
6.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.11 ₱326
$5.77 ₱369
-11.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.27 ₱209
$4.12 ₱263
-20.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.63 ₱487
$5.71 ₱365
33.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 ₱140
$1.60 ₱102
36.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ₱99.3
$1.07 ₱68.7
44.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 ₱144
$2.91 ₱186
-22.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ₱65.1
$1.43 ₱91.5
-28.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 ₱110
$1.84 ₱118
-5.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱108
$2.68 ₱171
-36.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ₱41.24
$1.47 ₱93.6
-55.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₱32.75
$0.61 ₱39.25
-16.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.94 ₱188
$3.04 ₱194
-3.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.50 ₱543
$3.93 ₱251
116.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₱60.5
$1.13 ₱71.9
-15.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ₱131
$1.26 ₱80.4
62.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱14.05
$0.26 ₱16.72
-15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.90 ₱825
$10.99 ₱702
17.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 ₱51.9
$0.81 ₱51.5
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 ₱15.39
$0.32 ₱20.72
-25.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 ₱121
$2.32 ₱148
-18.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ₱76.2
$0.89 ₱57.0
33.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K ₱1.4M
$21.2K ₱1.4M
0.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K ₱1.2M
$19.0K ₱1.2M
-1.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 ₱8,684
$64.3 ₱4,106
111.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.08 ₱1,091
$7.73 ₱494
120.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.01 ₱1,470
$23.98 ₱1,532
-4.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.76 ₱1,326
$32.70 ₱2,090
-36.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.23 ₱334
$4.65 ₱297
12.47%
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 ₱322
$4.70 ₱300
7.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,465
$32.00 ₱2,045
314.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₱674.1K
$8,107 ₱518.0K
30.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.91 ₱1,847
$33.03 ₱2,111
-12.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.53 ₱1,248
$19.08 ₱1,219
2.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ₱4,568
$55.9 ₱3,574
27.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.9 ₱3,507
$23.76 ₱1,518
131.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$393 ₱25.1K
$156 ₱9,955
152.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ₱12.3K
$172 ₱11.0K
11.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$819 ₱52.3K
$513 ₱32.7K
59.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 ₱29.6K
$134 ₱8,589
244.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,156 ₱201.6K
$2,401 ₱153.4K
31.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,526 ₱97.5K
$1,119 ₱71.5K
36.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Baguio
Dipolog
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$179 ₱11.4K
$234 ₱15.0K
-23.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
7.33
-7.91%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dipolog: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Baguio
$192
Dipolog
$172 10.5% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
$176
Dipolog
$96 45.5% $80
Groceries & Markets
Baguio
$171
Dipolog
$163 4.9% $8.3
Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
$79
Dipolog
$59 24.6% $19
Eating Out
Baguio
$73
Dipolog
$56 23.5% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
$31
Dipolog
$42 36.6% $11
Getting Around
Baguio
$16
Dipolog
$14 8.4% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $156 in Dipolog. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dipolog pays 31% 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 $19 in Dipolog. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $163, with Dipolog cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Baguio
🇵🇭 Dipolog
🕒 Local time
04:28 4:28 AM
04:28 4:28 AM
Same time as Baguio
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
366,358
130,759
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Baguio Dipolog 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Baguio
  • Dipolog

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 Dipolog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Baguio or Dipolog?
Dipolog wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dipolog the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Baguio or in Dipolog?
On paper, salaries run 24% 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 a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Baguio compared to Dipolog?
Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Baguio versus $156 in Dipolog. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Baguio compared to Dipolog?
All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $602 in Dipolog – Dipolog is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Baguio compared to Dipolog?
A monthly transit pass in Dipolog runs roughly 15% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Dipolog is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Baguio, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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