Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and San Juan, Philippines

For one person, living costs are similar in Baguio and in San Juan: $737 and $727 a month, rent and utilities included.

Baguio, Philippines
San Juan, Philippines
Baguio
🇵🇭 Philippines
$737
/mo nomad
San Juan
🇵🇭 Philippines
$727
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in San Juan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $727 in San Juan.

  • Baguio $737
  • San Juan $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,099 in San Juan.

  • Baguio $1,148
  • San Juan $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,471 in San Juan.

  • Baguio $1,558
  • San Juan $1,471

Monthly costs are close between Baguio and San Juan; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, San Juan 47% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.92 ₱250
$4.00 ₱255
-2.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.66 ₱1,061
$16.19 ₱1,031
2.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.73 ₱174
$2.80 ₱178
-2.50%
Cappuccino
$1.80 ₱114
$2.61 ₱166
-31.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₱35.10
$0.61 ₱38.76
-9.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱21.21
$0.33 ₱21.30
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 ₱63.4
$1.01 ₱64.2
-1.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱97.9
$1.54 ₱98.2
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ₱101
$1.67 ₱106
-4.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₱72.9
$1.13 ₱72.3
0.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 ₱61.5
$0.91 ₱58.1
6.59%
Eggs
$1.99 ₱127
$1.77 ₱113
12.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.11 ₱325
$4.98 ₱317
2.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.27 ₱208
$3.31 ₱211
-1.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.63 ₱486
$6.98 ₱445
9.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 ₱139
$2.20 ₱140
-0.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ₱99.0
$1.40 ₱88.9
10.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 ₱144
$2.27 ₱145
-0.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ₱64.9
$1.00 ₱63.9
2.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 ₱110
$1.73 ₱110
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱108
$1.69 ₱108
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ₱41.11
$0.60 ₱38.16
8.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₱32.64
$0.89 ₱56.4
-42.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.94 ₱187
$2.70 ₱172
8.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.50 ₱541
$7.51 ₱479
13.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₱60.3
$0.93 ₱59.5
2.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ₱131
$1.74 ₱111
17.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱14.01
$0.25 ₱15.91
-12.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.90 ₱822
$11.48 ₱731
12.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 ₱51.7
$0.75 ₱47.54
8.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 ₱15.35
$0.21 ₱13.36
14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 ₱121
$1.87 ₱119
1.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ₱76.0
$1.17 ₱74.5
1.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K ₱1.4M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
1.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K ₱1.2M
$19.2K ₱1.2M
-1.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 ₱8,657
$136 ₱8,678
-0.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.08 ₱1,088
$14.17 ₱902
20.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.01 ₱1,465
$23.95 ₱1,525
-3.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.76 ₱1,322
$27.03 ₱1,722
-23.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.23 ₱333
$5.16 ₱329
1.36%
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 ₱321
$5.01 ₱319
0.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$132 ₱8,438
$70.3 ₱4,480
88.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₱672.0K
$2,442 ₱155.5K
332.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.91 ₱1,841
$28.72 ₱1,829
0.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.53 ₱1,244
$19.22 ₱1,224
1.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.5 ₱4,554
$71.0 ₱4,520
0.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.9 ₱3,496
$55.3 ₱3,521
-0.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$393 ₱25.1K
$269 ₱17.1K
46.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ₱12.2K
$170 ₱10.8K
13.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$819 ₱52.2K
$493 ₱31.4K
66.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$463 ₱29.5K
$357 ₱22.7K
29.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,156 ₱201.0K
$2,304 ₱146.8K
36.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,526 ₱97.2K
$1,186 ₱75.5K
28.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Baguio
San Juan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$179 ₱11.4K
$235 ₱15.0K
-23.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
6.75
-

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Baguio
$192
San Juan
$170 11.6% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Baguio
$176
San Juan
$174 0.9% $1.6
Groceries & Markets
Baguio
$171
San Juan
$169 1% $1.8
Clothing & Footwear
Baguio
$79
San Juan
$78 0.4% $0.3
Eating Out
Baguio
$73
San Juan
$84 15% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Baguio
$31
San Juan
$37 20.1% $6.2
Getting Around
Baguio
$16
San Juan
$14 9.6% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $269 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $16 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $169 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Baguio
🇵🇭 San Juan
🕒 Local time
12:07 12:07 PM
12:07 12:07 PM
Same time as Baguio
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
366,358
126,347
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Baguio San Juan 210 km
From you
  • Baguio
  • San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Baguio or in San Juan?
On paper, salaries run 24% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Baguio compared to San Juan?
Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Baguio versus $269 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Baguio compared to San Juan?
A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 11% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do dining costs compare in Baguio and in San Juan?
Dining out is cheaper in San Juan – a meal for two runs $16 versus $17 in Baguio. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Baguio or in San Juan?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though San Juan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, San Juan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Baguio, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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