Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Nueva Ecija

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $517 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
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Nueva Ecija Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Nueva Ecija

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $517 in Nueva Ecija.

Baguio $737
Nueva Ecija $517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $912 in Nueva Ecija.

Baguio $1,148
Nueva Ecija $912

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,307 in Nueva Ecija.

Baguio $1,558
Nueva Ecija $1,307

Living in Baguio is roughly 43% more expensive than in Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Nueva Ecija 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱249

$3.85 ₱244

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,058

$16.14 ₱1,025

3.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱173

$2.72 ₱173

0.37%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱114

$1.43 ₱90.8

25.87%

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

$0.55 ₱34.99

$0.55 ₱35.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.15

$0.30 ₱19.33

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.2

$0.94 ₱59.8

5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.6

$1.55 ₱98.3

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.60 ₱101

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$0.94 ₱59.6

21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$0.92 ₱58.7

5.43%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱126

$1.57 ₱99.7

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱324

$4.89 ₱311

4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

$3.29 ₱209

-0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱484

$5.70 ₱362

33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$2.18 ₱138

0.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱98.7

$0.69 ₱43.74

124.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$1.69 ₱108

33.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.7

$1.05 ₱66.8

-2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$1.77 ₱112

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱40.99

$0.64 ₱40.68

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.55

$0.41 ₱26.35

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.25 ₱143

30.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱540

$4.23 ₱268

100.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.1

$0.90 ₱57.1

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱130

$1.97 ₱125

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.28 ₱17.95

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱820

$5.35 ₱339

141.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$0.73 ₱46.51

10.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.30

$0.14 ₱8.72

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.03 ₱65.5

84.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱75.8

$0.85 ₱54.2

40.00%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$15.8K ₱1.0M

34.63%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.97%

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

$136 ₱8,631

$78.6 ₱4,989

73.00%

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

$17.08 ₱1,085

$17.26 ₱1,096

-1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,461

$18.13 ₱1,151

26.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,318

$31.13 ₱1,977

-33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱332

$4.65 ₱295

12.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱320

$4.32 ₱275

16.44%

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

$132 ₱8,414

$133 ₱8,437

-0.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱670.1K

$10.9K ₱690.5K

-2.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,836

$28.55 ₱1,813

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,240

$19.54 ₱1,241

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,541

$70.5 ₱4,474

1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,486

$53.9 ₱3,422

1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.0K

$113 ₱7,198

247.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$66.9 ₱4,246

187.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.0K

$174 ₱11.1K

370.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.4K

$348 ₱22.1K

32.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱200.4K

$2,619 ₱166.3K

20.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.9K

$1,200 ₱76.2K

27.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$184 ₱11.7K

-2.69%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Nueva Ecija

$67 12.9% 65.2% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Nueva Ecija

$114 22% 35.3% $62

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Nueva Ecija

$144 27.8% 16% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Nueva Ecija

$78 15% 1.4% $1.1

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Nueva Ecija

$67 13% 7.4% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Nueva Ecija

$40 7.7% 29% $8.9

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Nueva Ecija

$7.9 1.5% 50.1% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $113 in Nueva Ecija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nueva Ecija pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $16 in Nueva Ecija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $144 per month, with Nueva Ecija cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

64,610

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Baguio Nueva Ecija 97 km

From you

Baguio
Nueva Ecija

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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nueva Ecija wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nueva Ecija the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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 $113 in Nueva Ecija. 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 $517 in Nueva Ecija – Nueva Ecija is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Nueva Ecija runs roughly 59% less than in Baguio. 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 Nueva Ecija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.