Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Panglao

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $734 a month against $795 in Panglao, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panglao outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
Learn more

Panglao Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Panglao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $795 in Panglao.

Baguio $734
Panglao $795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $1,113 in Panglao.

Baguio $1,206
Panglao $1,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,431 in Panglao.

Baguio $1,677
Panglao $1,431

Living in Baguio costs roughly 8% less than in Panglao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Panglao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₱195

$3.89 ₱245

-20.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 ₱1,507

$23.45 ₱1,476

2.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱171

$3.93 ₱247

-31.04%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₱106

$2.14 ₱135

-21.03%

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

$0.67 ₱42.28

$0.69 ₱43.43

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.30

$0.47 ₱29.58

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$1.54 ₱96.8

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱120

$1.84 ₱116

3.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.58 ₱99.4

12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₱55.2

$1.09 ₱68.7

-19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱60.8

$0.92 ₱58.0

5.43%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱115

$1.69 ₱106

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱299

$4.73 ₱298

0.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$4.52 ₱284

-28.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱441

$7.65 ₱482

-8.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱163

$1.90 ₱120

35.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱134

$1.31 ₱82.7

62.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ₱175

$1.94 ₱122

43.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱57.6

$1.49 ₱94.0

-38.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$2.30 ₱145

-39.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.1

$1.89 ₱119

-27.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.05

$1.07 ₱67.3

-39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.05

$0.46 ₱28.64

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱177

$2.89 ₱182

-2.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₱440

$5.73 ₱360

21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱48.43

$0.80 ₱50.1

-3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₱188

$1.55 ₱97.4

92.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.84

$0.22 ₱13.78

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 ₱912

$12.47 ₱785

16.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.2

$0.74 ₱46.38

35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.87

$0.22 ₱13.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.85 ₱117

0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱82.0

$0.94 ₱59.2

38.30%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.03%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-0.73%

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

$94.4 ₱5,943

$58.2 ₱3,665

62.13%

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

$16.64 ₱1,047

$6.53 ₱411

154.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ₱1,944

$23.87 ₱1,502

29.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 ₱1,736

$20.83 ₱1,311

32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₱487

$5.16 ₱325

50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱297

$3.92 ₱247

20.41%

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

$1,019 ₱64.1K

$132 ₱8,314

671.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 ₱331.0K

$7,973 ₱501.9K

-34.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 ₱3,146

$32.20 ₱2,027

55.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₱2,382

$19.54 ₱1,230

93.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,521

$66.0 ₱4,153

8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₱5,021

$46.55 ₱2,930

71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.3K

$279 ₱17.5K

38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.3K

$336 ₱21.1K

-41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 ₱64.9K

$541 ₱34.0K

90.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.3K

$396 ₱25.0K

29.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 ₱253.4K

$933 ₱58.7K

331.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.1K

$1,091 ₱68.6K

39.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-2.78%

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

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panglao: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 26.6%

Panglao

$336 42.2% 72.3% $141

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$168 22.9%

Panglao

$168 21.2% 0.2% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$142 19.3%

Panglao

$89 11.1% 37.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$108 14.7%

Panglao

$74 9.3% 31.4% $34

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.1%

Panglao

$85 10.6% 26.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$37 5%

Panglao

$29 3.6% 22.5% $8.3

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Panglao

$15 1.9% 13.7% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $279 in Panglao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $23 in Panglao. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $168, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Panglao

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

39,839

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Panglao 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Panglao

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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Panglao. 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 $1,102 in Baguio and $1,193 in Panglao 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: $387 in Baguio versus $279 in Panglao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Panglao runs roughly 14% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Baguio versus $795 in Panglao – Baguio is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Panglao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.