Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Palawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $784 in Palawan, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Palawan despite lower rent and utilities.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Palawan
Learn more

Palawan Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Palawan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $784 in Palawan.

Baguio $737
Palawan $784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,223 in Palawan.

Baguio $1,148
Palawan $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,661 in Palawan.

Baguio $1,558
Palawan $1,661

Living in Baguio costs roughly 6% less than in Palawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Palawan 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱251

$3.48 ₱222

12.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,064

$19.38 ₱1,238

-14.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$3.31 ₱211

-17.52%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.52 ₱161

-28.57%

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

$0.55 ₱35.21

$0.78 ₱49.78

-29.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.28

$0.39 ₱25.21

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.6

$1.31 ₱83.5

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.2

$2.15 ₱137

-28.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.90 ₱121

-16.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.22 ₱77.7

-6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$1.00 ₱63.8

-3.00%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.00 ₱128

-0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$7.91 ₱505

-35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$4.35 ₱278

-24.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱487

$7.62 ₱487

0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.87 ₱183

-23.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.3

$1.58 ₱101

-1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.62 ₱167

-13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$1.55 ₱99.2

-34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.24 ₱143

-22.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.54 ₱162

-33.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.24

$1.11 ₱70.7

-41.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.75

$0.75 ₱48.14

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱188

$2.89 ₱185

1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱543

$6.95 ₱444

22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$1.17 ₱74.4

-18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.98 ₱127

3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.26 ₱16.47

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱825

$11.46 ₱732

12.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.9

$0.81 ₱52.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.39

$0.22 ₱14.04

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.08 ₱133

-8.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$1.13 ₱72.4

5.31%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$26.1K ₱1.7M

-18.62%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

-9.42%

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

$136 ₱8,684

$112 ₱7,135

21.71%

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

$17.08 ₱1,091

$33.36 ₱2,132

-48.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,470

$27.52 ₱1,758

-16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,326

$34.20 ₱2,185

-39.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

$4.55 ₱291

14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱322

$5.96 ₱381

-15.60%

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

$132 ₱8,465

$153 ₱9,793

-13.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱674.1K

$4,354 ₱278.2K

142.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,847

$46.66 ₱2,981

-38.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,248

$26.57 ₱1,698

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,568

$74.4 ₱4,754

-3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,507

$54.1 ₱3,458

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$263 ₱16.8K

49.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

$174 ₱11.1K

10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

$576 ₱36.8K

42.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.6K

$390 ₱24.9K

18.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.6K

$2,321 ₱148.3K

35.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.5K

$1,122 ₱71.7K

36.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.67

1.20%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Palawan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Palawan

$174 22.2% 9.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Palawan

$173 22% 2% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Palawan

$202 25.8% 18.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Palawan

$91 11.6% 15.4% $12

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Palawan

$84 10.7% 14.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Palawan

$46 5.9% 49.6% $15

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Palawan

$14 1.8% 8.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $263 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $19 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $202 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Palawan

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

939,594

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Palawan 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Palawan

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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Palawan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,106 in Baguio and $1,176 in Palawan 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: $393 in Baguio versus $263 in Palawan. 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 $784 in Palawan – Baguio is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Palawan runs roughly 11% 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.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Palawan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.