Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $838 in Nanjing, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Nanjing

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $838 in Nanjing.

Baguio $737
Nanjing $838

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,317 in Nanjing.

Baguio $1,148
Nanjing $1,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,797 in Nanjing.

Baguio $1,558
Nanjing $1,797

Living in Baguio costs roughly 12% less than in Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Nanjing 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱250

$3.84 ¥25.52

2.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,062

$22.82 ¥152

-26.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$4.78 ¥31.74

-42.89%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$3.17 ¥21.05

-43.22%

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

$0.55 ₱35.11

$0.54 ¥3.59

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.22

$0.27 ¥1.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.4

$1.54 ¥10.25

-35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$2.27 ¥15.07

-32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$2.09 ¥13.88

-23.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$2.07 ¥13.76

-44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$0.91 ¥6.05

6.59%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.36 ¥9.04

46.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$10.45 ¥69.4

-51.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$2.96 ¥19.69

10.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

$8.81 ¥58.5

-13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.09 ¥13.90

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.1

$1.30 ¥8.61

19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$1.81 ¥12.02

24.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.06 ¥7.06

-3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$0.90 ¥5.96

92.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$0.95 ¥6.32

77.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.13

$0.93 ¥6.19

-30.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.66

$0.53 ¥3.50

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$3.85 ¥25.60

-23.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱542

$13.42 ¥89.2

-36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.3

$1.00 ¥6.66

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.51 ¥10.04

35.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.02

$0.31 ¥2.06

-29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱822

$30.16 ¥200

-57.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$1.70 ¥11.28

-52.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.35

$0.38 ¥2.54

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$9.16 ¥60.9

-79.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.36 ¥9.02

-12.50%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$19.6K ¥130.5K

8.28%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$17.7K ¥117.4K

6.36%

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

$136 ₱8,660

$53.8 ¥358

152.62%

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

$17.08 ₱1,088

$7.62 ¥50.6

124.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,466

$7.14 ¥47.43

222.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,323

$28.75 ¥191

-27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱333

$34.96 ¥232

-85.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$6.17 ¥41.03

-18.48%

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

$132 ₱8,442

$1,461 ¥9,708

-90.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.3K

$22.8K ¥151.8K

-53.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,842

$43.23 ¥287

-33.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,244

$34.43 ¥229

-43.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,556

$64.2 ¥427

11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,497

$88.8 ¥590

-38.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$490 ¥3,254

-19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$287 ¥1,910

-33.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.2K

$1,031 ¥6,848

-20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

$531 ¥3,528

-12.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.1K

$4,837 ¥32.1K

-34.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.2K

$3,107 ¥20.6K

-50.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$1,450 ¥9,632

-87.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.42

97.37%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Nanjing

$287 34.3% 49.5% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Nanjing

$69 8.2% 61% $107

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Nanjing

$204 24.3% 18.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Nanjing

$104 12.4% 32% $25

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Nanjing

$99 11.8% 35.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Nanjing

$41 4.9% 33.3% $10

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Nanjing

$35 4.2% 122% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $490 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanjing pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $23 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $204 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

9,314,685

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Baguio Nanjing 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Nanjing

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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Nanjing. 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 88% 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 $490 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $838 in Nanjing – Baguio is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 57% less than in Nanjing. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

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