Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $657 a month against $748 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
Learn more

Imus Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Imus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $748 in Baguio versus $657 in Imus.

Baguio $748
Imus $657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Baguio versus $978 in Imus.

Baguio $1,157
Imus $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in Baguio versus $1,299 in Imus.

Baguio $1,566
Imus $1,299

Living in Baguio is roughly 14% more expensive than in Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 45% lower, Imus 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$4.01 ₱252

-3.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,058

$16.46 ₱1,037

2.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱178

$2.88 ₱181

-1.74%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₱111

$1.88 ₱118

-5.85%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$0.61 ₱38.33

-6.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.29

$0.33 ₱20.94

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₱61.5

$1.03 ₱64.7

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.64 ₱103

-1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.67 ₱105

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$1.11 ₱69.9

-0.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$1.01 ₱63.5

Eggs

$1.99 ₱125

$2.01 ₱126

-1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$5.11 ₱322

-3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱220

$3.36 ₱212

3.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 ₱487

$7.91 ₱498

-2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 ₱140

$2.31 ₱145

-3.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$1.59 ₱100

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.42 ₱152

-1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.84 ₱116

-44.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱110

$1.69 ₱106

2.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$1.80 ₱113

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.71

$0.65 ₱41.04

-6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.80

$0.49 ₱30.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$3.04 ₱191

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₱540

$9.02 ₱568

-4.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$1.09 ₱68.5

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$2.06 ₱130

-2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.39

$0.24 ₱15.01

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.79 ₱806

$11.10 ₱699

15.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.69

$0.79 ₱49.64

-3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.23 ₱14.51

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.89 ₱119

2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.8

$1.20 ₱75.5

-0.83%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

0.37%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.83%

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

$141 ₱8,908

$125 ₱7,863

13.29%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

$15.76 ₱992

12.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.50 ₱1,479

$23.73 ₱1,494

-0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.59 ₱1,359

$33.01 ₱2,078

-34.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.31 ₱334

$4.61 ₱290

15.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱329

$5.16 ₱325

1.16%

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

$130 ₱8,180

$132 ₱8,307

-1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱682.6K

$9,101 ₱573.0K

19.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 ₱1,816

$28.92 ₱1,821

-0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,220

$19.90 ₱1,253

-2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,551

$73.0 ₱4,593

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,458

$54.7 ₱3,441

0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₱25.0K

$118 ₱7,400

238.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.1K

$99.7 ₱6,275

92.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 ₱52.7K

$201 ₱12.7K

316.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₱28.6K

$169 ₱10.6K

169.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ₱167.5K

$2,374 ₱149.5K

12.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$925 ₱58.2K

$978 ₱61.6K

-5.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 ₱11.5K

$174 ₱10.9K

5.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Baguio: October 18, 2026

Last update for Imus: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 25.7%

Imus

$100 15.2% 48.2% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$183 24.4%

Imus

$164 25% 10% $18

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$173 23.2%

Imus

$180 27.5% 4% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.6%

Imus

$79 12.1% 0.6% $0.4

Eating Out

Baguio

$72 9.7%

Imus

$75 11.5% 4.1% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$32 4.3%

Imus

$43 6.6% 35.2% $11

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Imus

$14 2.1% 10.9% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Baguio and $118 in Imus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $16.00 in Imus. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $180, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

496,794

💱 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

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Baguio
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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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imus wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Imus the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Baguio, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Baguio versus $118 in Imus. 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 $657 in Imus – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Imus runs roughly 15% 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 Imus 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 Imus 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 Imus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.