Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Baguio versus $523 in Tarlac City.

Baguio $737
Tarlac City $523

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Baguio versus $801 in Tarlac City.

Baguio $1,148
Tarlac City $801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,558 in Baguio versus $1,080 in Tarlac City.

Baguio $1,558
Tarlac City $1,080

Living in Baguio is roughly 41% more expensive than in Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Tarlac City 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ₱250

$1.99 ₱127

96.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.66 ₱1,061

$7.94 ₱506

109.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱174

$2.67 ₱170

2.25%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₱114

$1.82 ₱116

-1.10%

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

$0.55 ₱35.10

$0.48 ₱30.72

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.21

$0.30 ₱19.15

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.4

$0.95 ₱60.6

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.9

$1.58 ₱100

-2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.65 ₱105

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.9

$1.13 ₱72.0

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$1.01 ₱64.1

-3.96%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.92 ₱123

3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ₱325

$4.95 ₱315

3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ₱208

$2.68 ₱171

22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱486

$6.35 ₱405

20.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 ₱139

$1.57 ₱100

39.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.0

$1.51 ₱96.4

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.01 ₱128

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.9

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.71 ₱109

1.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$1.19 ₱75.5

42.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.11

$0.66 ₱41.80

-1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.64

$0.52 ₱33.32

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱187

$2.97 ₱189

-1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 ₱541

$3.72 ₱237

128.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.3

$0.89 ₱56.9

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.52 ₱97.1

34.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$0.24 ₱15.31

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱822

$8.05 ₱513

60.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.75 ₱47.49

8.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.35

$0.22 ₱13.93

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.30 ₱82.7

46.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₱76.0

$1.11 ₱71.0

7.21%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

0.13%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.16%

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

$136 ₱8,657

$87.4 ₱5,565

55.54%

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

$17.08 ₱1,088

$5.34 ₱340

219.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 ₱1,465

$23.23 ₱1,480

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.76 ₱1,322

$39.36 ₱2,507

-47.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱333

$15.91 ₱1,014

-67.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$5.11 ₱326

-1.57%

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

$132 ₱8,438

$130 ₱8,272

2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱672.0K

$10.5K ₱669.1K

0.44%

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

$18.79 ₱1,197

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,554

$62.0 ₱3,947

15.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,496

$47.50 ₱3,025

15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

$87.2 ₱5,555

350.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.2K

$70.5 ₱4,492

172.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.2K

$248 ₱15.8K

230.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.5K

$163 ₱10.4K

183.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.0K

$370 ₱23.5K

753.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.2K

$284 ₱18.1K

437.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

$208 ₱13.3K

-13.95%

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 Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 63.3% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$176 23.9%

Tarlac City

$116 22.2% 34.1% $60

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$171 23.2%

Tarlac City

$148 28.4% 13.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$79 10.7%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 10.2% $8

Eating Out

Baguio

$73 9.9%

Tarlac City

$57 10.9% 22% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Tarlac City

$50 9.5% 60.8% $19

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 31.3% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Baguio and $87 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarlac City pays 16% 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 $8 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $148 per month, with Tarlac City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

385,398

💱 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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Between locations

Baguio Tarlac City 100 km

From you

Baguio
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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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarlac City wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tarlac City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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 $87 in Tarlac 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 $523 in Tarlac City – Tarlac City is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tarlac City runs roughly 38% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Tarlac City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.