Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Pagadian

For one person, living costs are similar in Baguio and in Pagadian: $748 and $731 a month, rent and utilities included.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$748

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Pagadian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $748 in Baguio versus $731 in Pagadian.

Baguio $748
Pagadian $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Baguio versus $1,112 in Pagadian.

Baguio $1,157
Pagadian $1,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in Baguio versus $1,494 in Pagadian.

Baguio $1,566
Pagadian $1,494

Living in Baguio is roughly 2% more expensive than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 45% lower, Pagadian 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$3.97 ₱250

-2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,058

$16.95 ₱1,067

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱178

$2.75 ₱173

2.91%

Cappuccino

$1.77 ₱111

$1.91 ₱120

-7.33%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$0.80 ₱50.6

-28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.29

$0.25 ₱15.76

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ₱61.5

$1.46 ₱92.2

-32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.99 ₱125

-18.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.69 ₱106

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$1.16 ₱73.1

-5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$0.96 ₱60.8

5.21%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱125

$1.87 ₱118

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$5.47 ₱344

-9.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱220

$4.27 ₱269

-18.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 ₱487

$7.29 ₱459

6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 ₱140

$2.35 ₱148

-5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$1.53 ₱96.4

4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.41 ₱151

-1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.1

$1.13 ₱71.3

-8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ₱110

$2.01 ₱127

-13.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱109

$1.93 ₱121

-9.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.71

$0.92 ₱58.1

-33.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.80

$0.55 ₱34.43

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱183

$2.87 ₱181

1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₱540

$7.48 ₱471

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱58.2

$1.01 ₱63.8

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱127

$1.94 ₱122

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.39

$0.26 ₱16.37

-11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.79 ₱806

$11.25 ₱708

13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.69

$0.78 ₱48.85

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.21 ₱13.17

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.88 ₱118

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱74.8

$1.03 ₱64.9

15.53%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

-0.35%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

2.58%

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

$141 ₱8,908

$125 ₱7,875

13.12%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

$15.14 ₱953

16.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.50 ₱1,479

$24.15 ₱1,521

-2.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.59 ₱1,359

$32.36 ₱2,037

-33.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.31 ₱334

$4.70 ₱296

12.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱329

$5.07 ₱319

2.96%

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

$130 ₱8,180

$130 ₱8,191

-0.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱682.6K

$7,984 ₱502.7K

35.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 ₱1,816

$32.64 ₱2,055

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,220

$19.82 ₱1,248

-2.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,551

$72.4 ₱4,556

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,458

$55.1 ₱3,470

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₱25.0K

$266 ₱16.7K

49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.1K

$171 ₱10.7K

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 ₱52.7K

$516 ₱32.5K

62.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₱28.6K

$354 ₱22.3K

28.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 ₱167.5K

$2,381 ₱149.9K

11.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$925 ₱58.2K

$997 ₱62.8K

-7.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 ₱11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.79

-0.59%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 25.7%

Pagadian

$171 23.3% 11.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$183 24.4%

Pagadian

$164 22.5% 10% $18

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$173 23.2%

Pagadian

$180 24.6% 3.6% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.6%

Pagadian

$81 11.1% 2.6% $2

Eating Out

Baguio

$72 9.7%

Pagadian

$78 10.7% 8.4% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$32 4.3%

Pagadian

$43 5.8% 32.6% $10

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 10.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Baguio and $266 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $180 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

199,060

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Baguio Pagadian 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pagadian wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pagadian the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,121 in Baguio and $1,096 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Baguio versus $266 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $748 per month in Baguio versus $731 in Pagadian – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pagadian runs roughly 14% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pagadian gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.