Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $429 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $429 in Tagum City.

Baguio $737
Tagum City $429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $532 in Tagum City.

Baguio $1,148
Tagum City $532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $635 in Tagum City.

Baguio $1,558
Tagum City $635

Living in Baguio is roughly 72% more expensive than in Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Tagum City 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱250

$5.56 ₱354

-29.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,061

$12.74 ₱812

30.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$5.00 ₱319

-45.40%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱114

$2.21 ₱141

-18.55%

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

$0.55 ₱35.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.4

$1.90 ₱121

-47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$1.37 ₱87.6

12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.65 ₱105

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.9

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.85 ₱118

7.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱325

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$6.22 ₱396

-64.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱541

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.3

$1.36 ₱86.8

-30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$0.22 ₱13.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱822

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.35

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.31 ₱83.4

-9.16%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

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

$136 ₱8,657

$54.2 ₱3,450

150.90%

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

$17.08 ₱1,088

$7.88 ₱502

116.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,465

$27.21 ₱1,733

-15.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,322

$23.49 ₱1,496

-11.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱333

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$3.25 ₱207

54.77%

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

$132 ₱8,438

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.91 ₱1,841

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.53 ₱1,244

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,554

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,496

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$158 ₱10.1K

148.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$126 ₱7,995

53.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.2K

$317 ₱20.2K

158.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$203 ₱12.9K

-11.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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 Tagum City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Tagum City

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Tagum City

–

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Tagum City

–

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Tagum City

–

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Tagum City

–

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Tagum City

–

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Tagum City

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $158 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tagum City pays 13% 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 $13 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $85 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

296,202

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Baguio Tagum City 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Tagum 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagum City wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tagum City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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 $158 in Tagum 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 $429 in Tagum City – Tagum City is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Baguio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Tagum City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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