Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Marawi

For one person, living costs are similar in Baguio and in Marawi: $734 and $718 a month, rent and utilities included.

Baguio, Philippines
Marawi, Philippines
Baguio
🇵🇭 Philippines
$734
/mo nomad
Marawi
🇵🇭 Philippines
$718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Marawi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $718 in Marawi.

  • Baguio $734
  • Marawi $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $1,100 in Marawi.

  • Baguio $1,206
  • Marawi $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,482 in Marawi.

  • Baguio $1,677
  • Marawi $1,482

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.10 ₱197
$3.97 ₱252
-21.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.95 ₱1,519
$16.15 ₱1,025
48.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.71 ₱172
$2.72 ₱173
-0.37%
Cappuccino
$1.69 ₱107
$2.13 ₱135
-20.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.61
$0.69 ₱43.55
-2.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ₱24.49
$0.33 ₱21.10
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.14 ₱72.3
$1.20 ₱76.3
-5.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 ₱121
$2.02 ₱128
-5.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 ₱113
$1.64 ₱104
8.54%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 ₱55.7
$1.09 ₱69.0
-19.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 ₱61.3
$0.89 ₱56.2
8.99%
Eggs
$1.83 ₱116
$1.86 ₱118
-1.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.75 ₱301
$5.51 ₱350
-13.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.22 ₱204
$4.21 ₱267
-23.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.01 ₱445
$7.15 ₱453
-1.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 ₱164
$2.40 ₱152
7.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 ₱135
$1.56 ₱98.9
36.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 ₱177
$2.33 ₱148
19.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.92 ₱58.1
$1.16 ₱73.5
-20.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.39 ₱88.2
$2.12 ₱134
-34.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ₱86.8
$2.19 ₱139
-37.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ₱41.37
$1.09 ₱68.9
-40.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 ₱22.22
$0.56 ₱35.58
-37.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.81 ₱178
$2.85 ₱181
-1.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.99 ₱443
$7.30 ₱463
-4.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₱48.82
$0.93 ₱58.8
-17.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 ₱189
$1.91 ₱121
56.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.97
$0.24 ₱15.26
4.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.49 ₱919
$12.57 ₱797
15.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.00 ₱63.7
$0.80 ₱50.5
25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.97
$0.20 ₱12.66
10.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.86 ₱118
$1.87 ₱118
-0.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 ₱82.6
$1.17 ₱74.5
11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K ₱1.3M
$21.3K ₱1.4M
-2.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$19.2K ₱1.2M
-0.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.4 ₱5,990
$119 ₱7,578
-20.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.64 ₱1,056
$15.62 ₱991
6.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.88 ₱1,959
$24.25 ₱1,538
27.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.58 ₱1,750
$30.78 ₱1,953
-10.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.74 ₱491
$5.09 ₱323
52.06%
Cinema Ticket
$4.72 ₱299
$5.17 ₱328
-8.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,019 ₱64.6K
$130 ₱8,234
685.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,258 ₱333.6K
$7,809 ₱495.4K
-32.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.98 ₱3,171
$32.78 ₱2,080
52.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.84 ₱2,401
$19.34 ₱1,227
95.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.8 ₱4,557
$71.5 ₱4,537
0.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.8 ₱5,061
$54.6 ₱3,461
46.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$387 ₱24.5K
$248 ₱15.7K
55.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 ₱12.4K
$164 ₱10.4K
19.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,031 ₱65.4K
$497 ₱31.6K
107.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$513 ₱32.5K
$352 ₱22.3K
45.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,025 ₱255.4K
$2,638 ₱167.4K
52.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,526 ₱96.8K
$1,089 ₱69.1K
40.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Baguio
Marawi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$180 ₱11.4K
$277 ₱17.6K
-34.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
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 Marawi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Baguio
$195
Marawi
$164 16.1% $31
Groceries & Markets
Baguio
$168
Marawi
$179 6.3% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
$142
Marawi
$159 12.2% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
$108
Marawi
$80 25.6% $28
Eating Out
Baguio
$67
Marawi
$80 18.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
$37
Marawi
$41 11.1% $4.1
Getting Around
Baguio
$18
Marawi
$15 13% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $248 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marawi pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $16 in Marawi. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $179, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Baguio
🇵🇭 Marawi
🕒 Local time
23:54 11:54 PM
23:54 11:54 PM
Same time as Baguio
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
366,358
207,010
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Baguio Marawi 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Baguio
  • Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Baguio or in Marawi?
On paper, salaries run 35% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Baguio compared to Marawi?
Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Baguio versus $248 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Baguio compared to Marawi?
A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 13% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Are groceries more expensive in Baguio or in Marawi?
Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Baguio or in Marawi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Marawi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Baguio or Marawi?
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.

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