Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Baguio $737
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $978 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Baguio $1,148
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,315 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Baguio $1,558
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315

Living in Baguio is roughly 15% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱250

$4.60 ₱293

-14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,062

$14.04 ₱895

18.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$5.13 ₱327

-46.78%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱115

$2.21 ₱141

-18.55%

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

$0.55 ₱35.11

$0.68 ₱43.06

-19.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.22

$0.33 ₱21.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.4

$1.39 ₱88.6

-28.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$2.01 ₱128

-23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.58 ₱100

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$1.09 ₱69.6

4.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$0.85 ₱54.2

14.12%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.93 ₱123

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱326

$4.86 ₱310

5.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱209

$3.99 ₱255

-18.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

$7.56 ₱481

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.13 ₱136

2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.1

$1.73 ₱110

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.54 ₱162

-11.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

$1.15 ₱73.3

-11.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.21 ₱141

-21.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$2.08 ₱133

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.13

$0.92 ₱58.7

-29.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.66

$0.61 ₱38.59

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.84 ₱181

3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱542

$7.35 ₱468

15.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.3

$0.92 ₱58.8

3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.83 ₱117

12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.02

$0.18 ₱11.78

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱822

$12.86 ₱819

0.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.80 ₱51.3

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.35

$0.21 ₱13.38

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.85 ₱118

2.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.03 ₱65.9

15.53%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

11.13%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

-5.90%

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

$136 ₱8,660

$135 ₱8,582

0.91%

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

$17.08 ₱1,088

$14.33 ₱913

19.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,466

$16.57 ₱1,056

38.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,323

$30.08 ₱1,917

-30.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱333

$5.28 ₱337

-0.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$5.23 ₱333

-3.82%

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

$132 ₱8,442

$127 ₱8,082

4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.3K

$7,688 ₱489.9K

37.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,842

$29.05 ₱1,851

-0.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,244

$20.80 ₱1,325

-6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,556

$63.5 ₱4,047

12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,497

$46.93 ₱2,991

16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$124 ₱7,900

217.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$77.0 ₱4,908

149.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.2K

$323 ₱20.6K

153.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

$186 ₱11.9K

148.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.1K

$2,434 ₱155.1K

29.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.2K

$1,143 ₱72.8K

33.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.92

-2.46%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12% 59.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8% 5.9% $10

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6% 3.2% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3% 8.3% $6.5

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6% 28.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3% 31.5% $9.7

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4% 2.2% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Baguio vs $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $177, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

221,178

💱 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

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Baguio Subic Bay Freeport Zone 180 km

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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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subic Bay Freeport Zone wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Subic Bay Freeport Zone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,106 in Baguio and $962 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $737 per month in Baguio versus $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone – Subic Bay Freeport Zone is about 13% 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.