Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $731 a month against $870 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Baguio versus $870 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Baguio $731
Island Garden City of Samal $870

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,202 in Baguio versus $1,307 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Baguio $1,202
Island Garden City of Samal $1,307

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,674 in Baguio versus $1,744 in Island Garden City of Samal.

Baguio $1,674
Island Garden City of Samal $1,744

Living in Baguio costs roughly 16% less than in Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 45% lower, Island Garden City of Samal 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.24 ₱204

$5.54 ₱348

-41.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.85 ₱1,499

$20.51 ₱1,290

16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱170

$3.89 ₱245

-30.33%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₱104

$2.24 ₱141

-25.89%

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

$0.65 ₱40.71

$1.02 ₱64.3

-36.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.20

$0.60 ₱37.77

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱68.8

$1.43 ₱89.9

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.17 ₱136

-10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.07 ₱130

-14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 ₱52.0

$1.15 ₱72.2

-27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.3

$0.90 ₱56.8

1.11%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.03 ₱128

-7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.84 ₱304

$6.82 ₱428

-29.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ₱204

$5.13 ₱322

-36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 ₱446

$7.22 ₱454

-1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ₱160

$2.47 ₱155

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱134

$1.24 ₱78.2

71.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 ₱174

$2.44 ₱153

13.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 ₱54.6

$1.29 ₱80.9

-32.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 ₱89.0

$2.11 ₱133

-33.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$1.53 ₱96.1

-12.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₱41.37

$0.89 ₱55.7

-25.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.27

$0.72 ₱45.15

-51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$2.52 ₱158

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 ₱427

$5.78 ₱363

17.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₱47.93

$1.24 ₱78.3

-38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₱188

$1.56 ₱97.8

92.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$0.24 ₱14.89

4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.71 ₱925

$13.93 ₱876

5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₱65.5

$0.80 ₱50.1

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.84

$0.22 ₱13.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.86 ₱117

3.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.0

$1.23 ₱77.5

2.44%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-1.75%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

0.06%

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

$95.7 ₱6,014

$106 ₱6,670

-9.82%

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

$16.81 ₱1,057

$18.77 ₱1,180

-10.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.23 ₱1,964

$30.91 ₱1,943

1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.64 ₱1,549

$33.70 ₱2,119

-26.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.90 ₱497

$8.97 ₱564

-11.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 ₱294

$4.65 ₱292

0.65%

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

$1,001 ₱62.9K

$23.69 ₱1,489

4125.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,219 ₱328.1K

$7,917 ₱497.7K

-34.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.81 ₱3,131

$51.5 ₱3,240

-3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.91 ₱2,383

$27.65 ₱1,738

37.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,491

$78.1 ₱4,908

-8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 ₱4,966

$49.71 ₱3,125

58.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₱24.5K

$366 ₱23.0K

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ₱12.2K

$270 ₱17.0K

-28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 ₱65.5K

$921 ₱57.9K

13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ₱32.3K

$483 ₱30.4K

6.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,035 ₱253.7K

$3,913 ₱246.0K

3.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 ₱97.6K

$2,081 ₱130.8K

-25.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 ₱11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

-9.68%

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

Last update for Baguio: November 8, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: November 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$193 26.5%

Island Garden City of Samal

$270 31.1% 39.8% $77

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$167 22.9%

Island Garden City of Samal

$190 21.9% 13.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$144 19.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$156 17.9% 8.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$107 14.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$93 10.7% 13.1% $14

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$101 11.6% 49.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$34 4.7%

Island Garden City of Samal

$43 4.9% 26.5% $9

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Island Garden City of Samal

$17 1.9% 6.1% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Baguio and $366 in Island Garden City of Samal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $21 in Island Garden City of Samal. Groceries flip the comparison at $167 vs $190, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

116,771

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Baguio Island Garden City of Samal 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Island Garden City of Samal. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,096 in Baguio and $1,305 in Island Garden City of Samal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $390 in Baguio versus $366 in Island Garden City of Samal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $731 per month in Baguio versus $870 in Island Garden City of Samal – Baguio is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Island Garden City of Samal runs roughly 5% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Island Garden City of Samal are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.