Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Dumaguete

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $790 in Dumaguete, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. The total is higher in Dumaguete despite lower rent and utilities.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Dumaguete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $790 in Dumaguete.

Baguio $737
Dumaguete $790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,195 in Dumaguete.

Baguio $1,148
Dumaguete $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,600 in Dumaguete.

Baguio $1,558
Dumaguete $1,600

Living in Baguio costs roughly 7% less than in Dumaguete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Dumaguete 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱250

$3.82 ₱243

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,062

$15.47 ₱986

7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$4.23 ₱269

-35.46%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.22 ₱141

-18.92%

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

$0.55 ₱35.11

$0.72 ₱45.57

-23.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.22

$0.43 ₱27.09

-23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.4

$1.37 ₱87.2

-27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$1.83 ₱116

-15.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.66 ₱106

-4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$1.31 ₱83.6

-12.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$0.92 ₱58.8

5.43%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.79 ₱114

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$8.57 ₱546

-40.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$4.40 ₱280

-25.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

$6.86 ₱437

11.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$1.54 ₱97.9

42.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.1

$1.27 ₱81.1

22.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$3.44 ₱219

-34.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.28 ₱81.3

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.52 ₱160

-31.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$1.58 ₱100

6.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.13

$0.81 ₱51.9

-19.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.66

$0.57 ₱36.26

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.32 ₱148

26.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱542

$8.45 ₱538

0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.3

$1.14 ₱72.5

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.27 ₱81.0

61.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.02

$0.30 ₱19.06

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱822

$11.33 ₱722

13.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.69 ₱43.87

17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.35

$0.15 ₱9.41

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.13 ₱135

-10.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.09 ₱69.6

9.17%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.2K ₱1.3M

5.09%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.31%

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

$136 ₱8,660

$66.5 ₱4,234

104.53%

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

$17.08 ₱1,088

$9.65 ₱615

76.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,466

$26.12 ₱1,664

-11.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,323

$31.13 ₱1,984

-33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱333

$3.83 ₱244

36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$7.19 ₱458

-30.04%

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

$132 ₱8,442

$56.4 ₱3,597

134.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.3K

$1,650 ₱105.1K

539.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,842

$93.0 ₱5,928

-68.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,244

$31.24 ₱1,990

-37.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,556

$100 ₱6,393

-28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,497

$111 ₱7,043

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$233 ₱14.9K

68.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$202 ₱12.9K

-5.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.2K

$416 ₱26.5K

96.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

$344 ₱21.9K

34.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.1K

$3,045 ₱194.0K

3.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.2K

$674 ₱43.0K

126.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$278 ₱17.7K

-35.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-3.57%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Dumaguete

$202 25.6% 5.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Dumaguete

$102 12.9% 41.9% $74

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Dumaguete

$190 24.1% 11.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Dumaguete

$151 19.1% 91.7% $72

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Dumaguete

$85 10.8% 16.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Dumaguete

$46 5.8% 47.6% $15

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Dumaguete

$14 1.8% 11.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $233 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumaguete pays 55% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $15 in Dumaguete. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $190, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

134,103

💱 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 Dumaguete 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Dumaguete

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 Dumaguete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Dumaguete. 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 36% 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 $233 in Dumaguete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $790 in Dumaguete – Baguio is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 12% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Dumaguete are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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