Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Quezon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $757 a month against $860 in Quezon City, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Quezon City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $757 in Baguio versus $860 in Quezon City.

Baguio $757
Quezon City $860

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,171 in Baguio versus $1,372 in Quezon City.

Baguio $1,171
Quezon City $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,585 in Baguio versus $1,885 in Quezon City.

Baguio $1,585
Quezon City $1,885

Living in Baguio costs roughly 12% less than in Quezon City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 44% lower, Quezon City 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.04 ₱255

$4.48 ₱282

-9.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.77 ₱1,056

$18.90 ₱1,190

-11.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.85 ₱180

$2.84 ₱179

0.35%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₱117

$2.79 ₱175

-33.33%

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

$0.59 ₱37.34

$0.75 ₱47.41

-21.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.17

$0.27 ₱16.78

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$1.45 ₱91.6

-33.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₱98.9

$2.83 ₱178

-44.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.68 ₱106

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.14 ₱71.6

-1.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$0.84 ₱53.0

14.29%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.75 ₱110

16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.22 ₱329

$6.69 ₱421

-21.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ₱210

$4.24 ₱267

-21.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 ₱506

$7.23 ₱455

11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$3.96 ₱250

-41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.36 ₱85.7

16.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$3.46 ₱218

-32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.7

$1.13 ₱71.3

-4.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

$2.35 ₱148

-28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$3.32 ₱209

-46.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.85

$1.42 ₱89.7

-56.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.33

$0.97 ₱61.2

-48.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱181

$2.82 ₱178

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 ₱567

$7.73 ₱487

16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱57.8

$1.33 ₱83.8

-30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.79 ₱113

12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.84

$0.36 ₱22.92

-30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱812

$19.25 ₱1,212

-32.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.34

$0.77 ₱48.63

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.44

$0.21 ₱13.22

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.57 ₱162

-24.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.18 ₱74.6

5.93%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

0.13%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-0.56%

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

$138 ₱8,682

$163 ₱10.2K

-15.24%

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

$17.71 ₱1,115

$14.34 ₱903

23.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.76 ₱1,496

$24.17 ₱1,522

-1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.05 ₱1,325

$38.36 ₱2,415

-45.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 ₱327

$3.30 ₱207

57.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$7.01 ₱441

-24.39%

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

$135 ₱8,486

$71.8 ₱4,522

87.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱673.8K

$2,491 ₱156.8K

329.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.76 ₱1,811

$35.65 ₱2,245

-19.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.76 ₱1,244

$22.77 ₱1,433

-13.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,479

$77.8 ₱4,898

-8.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,551

$77.0 ₱4,850

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ₱25.8K

$312 ₱19.7K

31.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₱12.6K

$187 ₱11.8K

6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ₱52.6K

$746 ₱47.0K

12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₱29.3K

$537 ₱33.8K

-13.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 ₱166.7K

$2,370 ₱149.2K

11.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$930 ₱58.6K

$1,425 ₱89.7K

-34.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 ₱11.4K

$429 ₱27.0K

-57.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-3.57%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$200 26.4%

Quezon City

$187 21.8% 6.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$179 23.7%

Quezon City

$201 23.4% 12.2% $22

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$176 23.3%

Quezon City

$206 24% 16.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.5%

Quezon City

$96 11.2% 21.1% $17

Eating Out

Baguio

$75 9.9%

Quezon City

$95 11% 26.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$32 4.2%

Quezon City

$52 6.1% 65.5% $21

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Quezon City

$23 2.6% 42.4% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Baguio and $312 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quezon City pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $19.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $206 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

2,936,116

💱 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

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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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Quezon City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Quezon City. 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: $409 in Baguio versus $312 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $757 per month in Baguio versus $860 in Quezon City – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 49% less than in Quezon City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Baguio gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Quezon City 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 Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Quezon City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.