Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $757 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Manila

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $757 in Baguio versus $948 in Manila.

Baguio $757
Manila $948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,171 in Baguio versus $1,508 in Manila.

Baguio $1,171
Manila $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,585 in Baguio versus $2,068 in Manila.

Baguio $1,585
Manila $2,068

Living in Baguio costs roughly 20% less than in Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 44% lower, Manila 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.04 ₱255

$5.46 ₱344

-26.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.77 ₱1,056

$26.93 ₱1,695

-37.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.85 ₱180

$3.90 ₱246

-26.92%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₱117

$2.62 ₱165

-29.01%

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

$0.59 ₱37.34

$1.36 ₱85.5

-56.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.17

$0.83 ₱52.3

-63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$1.22 ₱76.9

-20.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₱98.9

$2.32 ₱146

-32.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.96 ₱123

-13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.42 ₱89.1

-21.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$1.04 ₱65.4

-7.69%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.23 ₱140

-8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.22 ₱329

$7.70 ₱485

-32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ₱210

$4.91 ₱309

-31.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 ₱506

$7.12 ₱448

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$3.23 ₱204

-28.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.92 ₱121

-17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$2.93 ₱184

-19.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$1.79 ₱113

-39.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$2.32 ₱146

-27.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$2.73 ₱172

-35.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.85

$2.12 ₱133

-70.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.33

$0.59 ₱37.25

-15.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱181

$3.18 ₱200

-9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 ₱567

$9.81 ₱618

-8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$1.34 ₱84.1

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱127

$2.00 ₱126

1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.84

$0.47 ₱29.47

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱812

$12.56 ₱791

2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.34

$0.73 ₱46.07

5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.44

$0.21 ₱13.20

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$1.87 ₱118

3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.28 ₱80.6

-2.34%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.3M

0.52%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-1.56%

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

$138 ₱8,682

$124 ₱7,822

10.99%

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

$17.71 ₱1,115

$15.73 ₱990

12.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.76 ₱1,496

$24.40 ₱1,536

-2.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.05 ₱1,325

$43.31 ₱2,727

-51.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 ₱327

$5.79 ₱365

-10.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$6.76 ₱425

-21.60%

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

$135 ₱8,486

$630 ₱39.7K

-78.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱673.8K

$9,004 ₱566.9K

18.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.76 ₱1,811

$58.3 ₱3,668

-50.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.76 ₱1,244

$27.34 ₱1,721

-27.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,479

$75.6 ₱4,758

-5.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,551

$56.6 ₱3,564

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ₱25.8K

$536 ₱33.8K

-23.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₱12.6K

$284 ₱17.9K

-29.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ₱52.6K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

-55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₱29.3K

$654 ₱41.2K

-28.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 ₱166.7K

$4,438 ₱279.4K

-40.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$930 ₱58.6K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-63.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 ₱11.4K

$467 ₱29.4K

-61.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.43

-9.15%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$200 26.4%

Manila

$284 29.9% 42.2% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$179 23.7%

Manila

$164 17.3% 8.4% $15

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$176 23.3%

Manila

$222 23.5% 26.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.5%

Manila

$98 10.3% 23.7% $19

Eating Out

Baguio

$75 9.9%

Manila

$106 11.2% 42.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$32 4.2%

Manila

$57 6% 79.6% $25

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Manila

$16 1.7% 2.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Baguio and $536 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 157% 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 $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $222 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

1,780,148 Capital

💱 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

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Baguio Manila 210 km

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Baguio
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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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Manila. 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 157% lower in Manila. 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: $409 in Baguio versus $536 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $757 per month in Baguio versus $948 in Manila – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 3% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $757 in Baguio versus $948 in Manila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Manila 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 25% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.