Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Polomolok

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $612 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Polomolok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $612 in Polomolok.

Baguio $737
Polomolok $612

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $966 in Polomolok.

Baguio $1,148
Polomolok $966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,321 in Polomolok.

Baguio $1,558
Polomolok $1,321

Living in Baguio is roughly 21% more expensive than in Polomolok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Polomolok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱251

$1.53 ₱97.6

156.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,064

$16.22 ₱1,036

2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$2.06 ₱131

32.52%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.12 ₱135

-15.09%

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

$0.55 ₱35.21

$0.37 ₱23.73

48.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.28

$0.66 ₱42.33

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.6

$1.14 ₱72.5

-13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.2

$2.12 ₱136

-27.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.58 ₱101

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$0.89 ₱56.8

28.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$0.64 ₱40.93

51.56%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.92 ₱123

3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$6.35 ₱405

-19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$2.72 ₱174

20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱487

$5.61 ₱358

36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.52 ₱161

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.3

$0.57 ₱36.13

171.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.42 ₱154

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$0.76 ₱48.46

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.15 ₱73.5

50.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.78 ₱178

-39.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.24

$0.81 ₱51.5

-19.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.75

$0.66 ₱42.05

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱188

$2.45 ₱156

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱543

$7.06 ₱451

20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$0.92 ₱58.5

3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.52 ₱97.2

34.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.22 ₱14.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱825

$12.59 ₱804

2.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.9

$0.82 ₱52.3

-1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.39

$0.22 ₱14.05

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.92 ₱122

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$0.85 ₱54.3

40.00%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$15.4K ₱985.8K

37.79%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$17.1K ₱1.1M

9.78%

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

$136 ₱8,684

$50.4 ₱3,219

169.77%

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

$17.08 ₱1,091

$18.88 ₱1,207

-9.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,470

$26.19 ₱1,673

-12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,326

$31.17 ₱1,992

-33.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

$5.26 ₱336

-0.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱322

$3.93 ₱251

27.99%

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

$132 ₱8,465

$106 ₱6,744

25.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱674.1K

$1,346 ₱86.0K

684.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,847

$32.46 ₱2,074

-10.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,248

$18.92 ₱1,209

3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,568

$62.7 ₱4,006

14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,507

$61.6 ₱3,936

-10.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$254 ₱16.2K

54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

$169 ₱10.8K

13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

$558 ₱35.7K

46.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.6K

$359 ₱22.9K

28.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.6K

$2,598 ₱166.0K

21.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.5K

$1,128 ₱72.1K

35.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$233 ₱14.9K

-23.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

12.50%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Polomolok

$169 27.7% 11.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Polomolok

$95 15.6% 45.8% $81

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Polomolok

$156 25.5% 9.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Polomolok

$79 12.9% 0.5% $0.4

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Polomolok

$58 9.5% 20.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Polomolok

$39 6.4% 26.6% $8.2

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Polomolok

$15 2.5% 2.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $254 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Polomolok pays 30% 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 Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $156 per month, with Polomolok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

172,605

💱 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 Polomolok 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Polomolok

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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polomolok wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Polomolok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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 $254 in Polomolok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Baguio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $612 in Polomolok – Polomolok is about 17% 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.