Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and El Nido

For one person, living costs are similar in Baguio and in El Nido: $748 and $739 a month, rent and utilities included.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in El Nido

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $748 in Baguio versus $739 in El Nido.

Baguio $748
El Nido $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Baguio versus $1,148 in El Nido.

Baguio $1,157
El Nido $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in Baguio versus $1,557 in El Nido.

Baguio $1,566
El Nido $1,557

Living in Baguio is roughly 1% more expensive than in El Nido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 45% lower, El Nido 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$4.84 ₱305

-19.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,058

$28.13 ₱1,771

-40.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱178

$3.70 ₱233

-23.51%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₱111

$2.25 ₱142

-21.33%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$1.17 ₱73.8

-51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.29

$0.32 ₱20.45

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₱61.5

$1.30 ₱81.8

-24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.99 ₱125

-18.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.59 ₱100

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$1.00 ₱63.1

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$1.29 ₱81.4

-21.71%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱125

$1.95 ₱123

2.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$5.33 ₱336

-7.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱220

$3.98 ₱250

-12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 ₱487

$6.98 ₱439

10.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 ₱140

$2.25 ₱142

-1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$1.54 ₱97.1

3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.26 ₱142

5.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.16 ₱72.8

-11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱110

$1.95 ₱123

-10.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$2.01 ₱127

-13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.71

$0.92 ₱58.0

-33.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.80

$0.53 ₱33.65

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$3.35 ₱211

-13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₱540

$7.24 ₱456

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$1.00 ₱62.9

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.87 ₱118

7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.39

$0.24 ₱15.07

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.79 ₱806

$10.28 ₱648

24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.69

$0.85 ₱53.8

-10.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.20 ₱12.47

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.72 ₱108

12.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.8

$1.31 ₱82.3

-9.16%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

10.58%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-9.89%

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

$141 ₱8,908

$121 ₱7,638

16.64%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

$14.38 ₱906

23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.50 ₱1,479

$24.44 ₱1,539

-3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.59 ₱1,359

$34.90 ₱2,197

-38.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.31 ₱334

$3.99 ₱251

33.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱329

$5.23 ₱329

-0.19%

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

$130 ₱8,180

$124 ₱7,818

4.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱682.6K

$6,869 ₱432.4K

57.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 ₱1,816

$33.86 ₱2,132

-14.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,220

$18.81 ₱1,185

3.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,551

$66.9 ₱4,211

8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,458

$49.95 ₱3,145

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₱25.0K

$269 ₱17.0K

47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.1K

$177 ₱11.2K

8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 ₱52.7K

$535 ₱33.7K

56.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₱28.6K

$358 ₱22.5K

27.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ₱167.5K

$2,607 ₱164.1K

2.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$925 ₱58.2K

$900 ₱56.7K

2.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 ₱11.5K

$257 ₱16.2K

-28.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.79

-0.59%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 18, 2026

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 25.7%

El Nido

$177 24% 7.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$183 24.4%

El Nido

$160 21.7% 12.3% $23

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$173 23.2%

El Nido

$174 23.6% 0.4% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.6%

El Nido

$76 10.3% 3.4% $2.7

Eating Out

Baguio

$72 9.7%

El Nido

$93 12.6% 28.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$32 4.3%

El Nido

$45 6.1% 41.6% $13

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

El Nido

$13 1.8% 16.7% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Baguio and $269 in El Nido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Nido pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $28.00 in El Nido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $174 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 El Nido

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

50,494

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio El Nido 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
El Nido

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 El Nido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Nido wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Nido the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in El Nido. 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: $398 in Baguio versus $269 in El Nido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $748 per month in Baguio versus $739 in El Nido – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in El Nido runs roughly 24% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though El Nido 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.

Safety-wise, Baguio and El Nido are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find El Nido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.