Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Lipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $596 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
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Lipa Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Lipa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $596 in Lipa.

Baguio $737
Lipa $596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $924 in Lipa.

Baguio $1,148
Lipa $924

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,252 in Lipa.

Baguio $1,558
Lipa $1,252

Living in Baguio is roughly 24% more expensive than in Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Lipa 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱250

$3.12 ₱199

25.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,062

$15.87 ₱1,011

4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$2.78 ₱177

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$1.83 ₱117

-1.64%

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

$0.55 ₱35.11

$0.42 ₱26.59

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.22

$0.31 ₱19.53

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.4

$1.02 ₱65.2

-2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$1.52 ₱96.8

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.51 ₱96.5

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$1.10 ₱70.1

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$0.83 ₱52.6

16.87%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.72 ₱109

15.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$5.13 ₱327

-0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$3.26 ₱208

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

$7.81 ₱498

-2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.28 ₱145

-3.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.1

$1.57 ₱99.8

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.28 ₱145

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.01 ₱64.3

0.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.67 ₱106

3.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$1.70 ₱109

-0.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.13

$0.60 ₱38.38

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.66

$0.49 ₱31.12

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.91 ₱186

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱542

$8.39 ₱535

1.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.3

$0.89 ₱56.9

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.94 ₱124

5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.02

$0.27 ₱17.24

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱822

$4.80 ₱306

168.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.68 ₱43.30

19.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.35

$0.24 ₱15.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.87 ₱119

1.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.10 ₱70.0

8.18%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.16%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$15.4K ₱983.0K

21.76%

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

$136 ₱8,660

$135 ₱8,608

0.60%

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

$17.08 ₱1,088

$17.10 ₱1,089

-0.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,466

$22.80 ₱1,453

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,323

$31.49 ₱2,006

-34.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱333

$3.83 ₱244

36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$5.06 ₱323

-0.59%

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

$132 ₱8,442

$132 ₱8,379

0.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.3K

$10.6K ₱676.2K

-0.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,842

$28.79 ₱1,834

0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,244

$19.29 ₱1,229

1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,556

$71.7 ₱4,567

-0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,497

$55.7 ₱3,546

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$79.1 ₱5,041

397.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$58.6 ₱3,731

228.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.2K

$241 ₱15.4K

239.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

$177 ₱11.3K

161.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$222 ₱14.1K

-19.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.50%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lipa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Lipa

$59 9.8% 69.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Lipa

$175 29.3% 0.6% $1

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Lipa

$168 28.2% 1.8% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Lipa

$79 13.2% 0.3% $0.3

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Lipa

$66 11.1% 8.9% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Lipa

$42 7% 35% $11

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Lipa

$7.8 1.3% 50.8% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $79 in Lipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lipa pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $16 in Lipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $168 per month, with Lipa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

332,386

💱 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 Lipa 280 km

From you

Baguio
Lipa

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 Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lipa wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lipa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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 $79 in Lipa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lipa runs roughly 63% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $596 in Lipa – Lipa is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Lipa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Lipa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.