Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Mambajao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $497 a month against $734 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Mambajao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $497 in Mambajao.

Baguio $734
Mambajao $497

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $799 in Mambajao.

Baguio $1,206
Mambajao $799

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,101 in Mambajao.

Baguio $1,677
Mambajao $1,101

Living in Baguio is roughly 48% more expensive than in Mambajao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Mambajao 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₱196

$1.36 ₱85.9

127.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 ₱1,517

$15.81 ₱1,002

51.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱172

$3.20 ₱203

-15.31%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₱107

$2.18 ₱138

-22.48%

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

$0.67 ₱42.55

$0.38 ₱23.92

76.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.46

$0.28 ₱17.78

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.2

$0.94 ₱59.4

21.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.11 ₱70.6

72.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱113

$0.84 ₱53.0

111.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₱55.6

$0.57 ₱36.41

54.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$0.67 ₱42.69

44.78%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱116

$1.20 ₱76.1

52.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱301

$5.43 ₱344

-12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ₱204

$4.17 ₱265

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱444

$5.59 ₱354

25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$2.28 ₱144

13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱135

$1.50 ₱94.9

42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ₱177

$2.39 ₱152

16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$1.12 ₱71.1

-17.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ₱88.1

$1.23 ₱78.2

13.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.7

$2.20 ₱139

-37.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.32

$1.09 ₱68.8

-40.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.19

$0.52 ₱33.24

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱178

$2.91 ₱185

-3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₱443

$7.44 ₱472

-6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱48.75

$1.01 ₱64.3

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₱189

$1.15 ₱72.9

159.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.95

$0.21 ₱13.01

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 ₱918

$12.49 ₱791

16.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.6

$0.76 ₱47.97

31.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.96

$0.22 ₱13.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱82.5

$1.23 ₱78.1

5.69%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-0.45%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.41%

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

$94.4 ₱5,982

$63.3 ₱4,011

49.12%

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

$16.64 ₱1,054

$15.26 ₱967

9.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ₱1,956

$19.19 ₱1,216

60.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 ₱1,748

$30.84 ₱1,954

-10.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₱490

$5.33 ₱338

45.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱299

$5.00 ₱317

-5.60%

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

$1,019 ₱64.6K

$128 ₱8,132

693.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 ₱333.1K

$7,987 ₱506.0K

-34.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 ₱3,167

$32.01 ₱2,028

56.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₱2,397

$19.38 ₱1,228

95.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,551

$69.5 ₱4,400

3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₱5,054

$55.5 ₱3,514

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.5K

$96.7 ₱6,129

299.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.4K

$55.8 ₱3,532

249.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 ₱65.3K

$235 ₱14.9K

338.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.5K

$154 ₱9,745

233.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 ₱255.0K

$2,632 ₱166.7K

52.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.7K

$1,104 ₱70.0K

38.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.4K

$150 ₱9,497

20.12%

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 Mambajao: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 26.6%

Mambajao

$56 11.2% 71.4% $139

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$168 22.9%

Mambajao

$152 30.6% 9.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$142 19.3%

Mambajao

$98 19.7% 31.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$108 14.7%

Mambajao

$79 16% 26.4% $28

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.1%

Mambajao

$56 11.3% 16.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$37 5%

Mambajao

$41 8.2% 10.3% $3.8

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Mambajao

$15 3.1% 13.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $97 in Mambajao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 20% 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: $24 in Baguio vs $16 in Mambajao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $152 per month, with Mambajao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

41,094

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Mambajao 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Mambajao

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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mambajao wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mambajao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $97 in Mambajao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Baguio versus $497 in Mambajao – Mambajao is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mambajao runs roughly 14% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Mambajao 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.

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

Expats usually find Mambajao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.