Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Mandaluyong

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $748 a month against $837 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Mandaluyong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $748 in Baguio versus $837 in Mandaluyong.

Baguio $748
Mandaluyong $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Baguio versus $1,380 in Mandaluyong.

Baguio $1,157
Mandaluyong $1,380

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in Baguio versus $1,923 in Mandaluyong.

Baguio $1,566
Mandaluyong $1,923

Living in Baguio costs roughly 11% less than in Mandaluyong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 45% lower, Mandaluyong 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$4.82 ₱303

-19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,058

$16.66 ₱1,049

0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱178

$3.52 ₱222

-19.60%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₱111

$2.19 ₱138

-19.18%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$1.04 ₱65.3

-45.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.29

$0.51 ₱32.27

-39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₱61.5

$1.17 ₱74.0

-16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.39 ₱151

-32.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.62 ₱102

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$1.28 ₱80.7

-14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$1.02 ₱64.4

-0.98%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱125

$2.31 ₱146

-13.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$5.20 ₱328

-5.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱220

$4.80 ₱302

-27.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 ₱487

$6.98 ₱439

10.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 ₱140

$3.29 ₱207

-32.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$1.88 ₱118

-14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.94 ₱185

-19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.86 ₱117

-44.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱110

$2.30 ₱145

-24.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$2.62 ₱165

-33.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.71

$0.66 ₱41.34

-7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.80

$0.48 ₱30.36

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$3.01 ₱189

-3.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₱540

$8.49 ₱534

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$0.93 ₱58.4

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.99 ₱125

1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.39

$0.35 ₱21.86

-34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.79 ₱806

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.69

$0.78 ₱48.95

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.25 ₱15.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.95 ₱123

-1.03%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-1.60%

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

$139 ₱8,723

2.13%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

$17.77 ₱1,119

-0.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.50 ₱1,479

$24.38 ₱1,535

-3.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.59 ₱1,359

$31.36 ₱1,975

-31.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.31 ₱334

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱329

$6.23 ₱392

-16.21%

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

$130 ₱8,180

$130 ₱8,175

0.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱682.6K

$8,724 ₱549.3K

24.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 ₱1,816

$28.61 ₱1,801

0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,220

$27.28 ₱1,717

-28.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,551

$70.2 ₱4,420

2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,458

$54.8 ₱3,447

0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₱25.0K

$619 ₱39.0K

-35.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.1K

$237 ₱14.9K

-18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 ₱52.7K

$1,191 ₱75.0K

-29.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₱28.6K

$713 ₱44.9K

-36.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ₱167.5K

$2,820 ₱177.5K

-5.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$925 ₱58.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 ₱11.5K

$526 ₱33.1K

-65.20%

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 Mandaluyong: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 25.7%

Mandaluyong

$237 28.4% 23.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$183 24.4%

Mandaluyong

$181 21.6% 1.1% $2

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$173 23.2%

Mandaluyong

$198 23.6% 14% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.6%

Mandaluyong

$81 9.7% 3.1% $2.4

Eating Out

Baguio

$72 9.7%

Mandaluyong

$92 11% 27.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$32 4.3%

Mandaluyong

$44 5.2% 36.8% $12

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Mandaluyong

$3.4 * 0.4% 78.2% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Baguio and $619 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays 187% 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 $17.00 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $198 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

425,758

💱 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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Between locations

Baguio Mandaluyong 210 km

From you

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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Mandaluyong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 187% lower in Mandaluyong. 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: $398 in Baguio versus $619 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Mandaluyong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $748 per month in Baguio versus $837 in Mandaluyong – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $748 in Baguio versus $837 in Mandaluyong, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Mandaluyong. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Mandaluyong 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 Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Mandaluyong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.