Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Santiago City

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $862 in Santiago City, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
Learn more

Santiago City Living Index

Jump to prices

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Santiago 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 Santiago City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $862 in Santiago City.

Baguio $737
Santiago City $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $1,309 in Santiago City.

Baguio $1,148
Santiago City $1,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,755 in Santiago City.

Baguio $1,558
Santiago City $1,755

Living in Baguio costs roughly 14% less than in Santiago City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Santiago City 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱251

$6.21 ₱396

-36.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,064

$38.94 ₱2,486

-57.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$4.56 ₱291

-40.13%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.51 ₱161

-28.29%

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

$0.55 ₱35.18

$1.10 ₱69.9

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.26

$0.53 ₱33.53

-37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.5

$2.30 ₱147

-56.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.1

$3.06 ₱195

-49.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.87 ₱119

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.26 ₱80.7

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.7

$1.04 ₱66.7

-6.73%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.36 ₱87.0

46.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$7.00 ₱447

-27.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$4.95 ₱316

-33.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱487

$6.67 ₱426

14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.34 ₱150

-6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.3

$1.90 ₱121

-18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$3.21 ₱205

-29.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.0

$2.31 ₱147

-55.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$3.44 ₱220

-49.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$3.39 ₱217

-50.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.21

$1.07 ₱68.2

-39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.72

$0.54 ₱34.42

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱188

$2.52 ₱161

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱543

$7.77 ₱496

9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.4

$1.35 ₱86.3

-29.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.93 ₱123

6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.04

$0.23 ₱14.67

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱824

$12.07 ₱771

6.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.8

$0.65 ₱41.25

24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.21 ₱13.40

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.86 ₱119

2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$1.24 ₱79.4

-4.03%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

3.41%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

1.15%

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

$136 ₱8,677

$155 ₱9,891

-12.27%

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

$17.08 ₱1,091

$15.75 ₱1,006

8.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,469

$31.94 ₱2,039

-27.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,325

$32.85 ₱2,097

-36.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

$4.44 ₱284

17.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$6.89 ₱440

-27.00%

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

$132 ₱8,458

$131 ₱8,373

1.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱673.6K

$7,238 ₱462.1K

45.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,846

$32.32 ₱2,063

-10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,247

$18.96 ₱1,210

3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,565

$80.0 ₱5,107

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,504

$54.2 ₱3,460

1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$251 ₱16.0K

56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

$189 ₱12.1K

1.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

$538 ₱34.3K

52.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

$307 ₱19.6K

50.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.5K

$2,648 ₱169.1K

19.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.4K

$1,225 ₱78.2K

24.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Santiago City

$189 21.9% 1.7% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Santiago City

$203 23.5% 15.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Santiago City

$208 24.2% 21.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Santiago City

$83 9.7% 6.1% $4.8

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Santiago City

$118 13.6% 61.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Santiago City

$47 5.4% 51.2% $16

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Santiago City

$15 1.7% 7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $251 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $39 in Santiago City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $208 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🕒 Local time

16:07 4:07 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

108,414

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Santiago City 110 km

From you

Baguio
Santiago City

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 Santiago City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Santiago City. 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 $1,293 in Santiago City 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 $251 in Santiago City. 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 $862 in Santiago City – Baguio is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago City runs roughly 6% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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