Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Laoag City

For one person, living costs are similar in Baguio and in Laoag City: $734 and $720 a month, rent and utilities included.

35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Laoag City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $720 in Laoag City.

Baguio $734
Laoag City $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $1,097 in Laoag City.

Baguio $1,206
Laoag City $1,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,475 in Laoag City.

Baguio $1,677
Laoag City $1,475

Monthly costs are close between Baguio and Laoag City; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Laoag City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₱196

$3.95 ₱250

-21.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 ₱1,518

$16.69 ₱1,058

43.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱172

$2.79 ₱177

-2.87%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₱107

$2.13 ₱135

-20.66%

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

$0.67 ₱42.57

$0.69 ₱43.58

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.47

$0.31 ₱19.56

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.2

$1.19 ₱75.3

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱121

$2.04 ₱130

-6.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱113

$1.65 ₱105

7.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₱55.6

$1.15 ₱72.8

-23.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$0.90 ₱56.8

7.78%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱116

$1.92 ₱122

-4.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱301

$5.43 ₱344

-12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ₱204

$4.18 ₱265

-22.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$6.94 ₱440

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$2.39 ₱152

7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱135

$1.59 ₱100

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ₱177

$2.40 ₱152

16.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$1.11 ₱70.2

-17.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ₱88.1

$2.04 ₱129

-31.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.7

$2.19 ₱139

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.33

$1.04 ₱65.9

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.20

$0.53 ₱33.64

-33.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱178

$2.92 ₱185

-3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₱443

$7.50 ₱476

-6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱48.77

$0.97 ₱61.2

-20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₱189

$1.93 ₱122

54.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.95

$0.22 ₱13.94

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 ₱919

$12.26 ₱777

18.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.6

$0.75 ₱47.76

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.96

$0.23 ₱14.61

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.91 ₱121

-2.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱82.5

$1.00 ₱63.2

30.00%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-0.88%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

1.00%

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

$94.4 ₱5,984

$119 ₱7,546

-20.70%

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

$16.64 ₱1,055

$15.64 ₱991

6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ₱1,957

$23.94 ₱1,517

28.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 ₱1,748

$31.30 ₱1,984

-11.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₱491

$5.11 ₱324

51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱299

$5.06 ₱321

-6.72%

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

$1,019 ₱64.6K

$131 ₱8,327

675.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 ₱333.2K

$7,744 ₱490.9K

-32.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 ₱3,168

$32.77 ₱2,077

52.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₱2,398

$19.23 ₱1,219

96.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,553

$69.8 ₱4,425

2.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₱5,056

$55.0 ₱3,487

45.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.5K

$247 ₱15.6K

56.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.4K

$167 ₱10.6K

16.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 ₱65.4K

$497 ₱31.5K

107.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.5K

$344 ₱21.8K

48.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 ₱255.1K

$2,674 ₱169.5K

50.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.7K

$1,094 ₱69.3K

39.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.4K

$159 ₱10.1K

13.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

1.16%

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

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Laoag City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 26.6%

Laoag City

$167 23.2% 14.4% $28

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$168 22.9%

Laoag City

$179 24.8% 6.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$142 19.3%

Laoag City

$159 22% 11.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$108 14.7%

Laoag City

$80 11.1% 26.1% $28

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.1%

Laoag City

$80 11.1% 18.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$37 5%

Laoag City

$41 5.8% 11.9% $4.4

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Laoag City

$15 2.1% 14.5% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $247 in Laoag City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $17 in Laoag City. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $179, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

112,117

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Baguio Laoag City 200 km

From you

Baguio
Laoag City

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 Laoag City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 13% 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: $387 in Baguio versus $247 in Laoag City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Laoag City runs roughly 15% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

For families, Laoag City 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.

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