Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Zamboanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $714 a month against $734 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $240 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Zamboanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $714 in Zamboanga.

Baguio $734
Zamboanga $714

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $1,076 in Zamboanga.

Baguio $1,206
Zamboanga $1,076

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,438 in Zamboanga.

Baguio $1,677
Zamboanga $1,438

Living in Baguio is roughly 3% more expensive than in Zamboanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₱197

$1.31 ₱82.8

136.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 ₱1,519

$16.52 ₱1,048

44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱172

$3.32 ₱211

-18.37%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₱107

$2.05 ₱130

-17.56%

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

$0.67 ₱42.61

$0.91 ₱57.5

-26.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.49

$0.39 ₱24.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.45 ₱91.8

-21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱121

$1.95 ₱124

-2.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱113

$1.80 ₱114

-1.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₱55.7

$1.38 ₱87.4

-36.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$1.10 ₱70.0

-11.82%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱116

$1.44 ₱91.2

27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱301

$4.69 ₱298

1.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ₱204

$3.88 ₱246

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$3.13 ₱199

123.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$3.00 ₱190

-14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱135

$1.20 ₱76.0

77.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ₱177

$3.78 ₱240

-26.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.15 ₱73.2

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ₱88.2

$1.18 ₱74.8

17.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.8

$2.40 ₱152

-42.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.37

$0.85 ₱53.8

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.22

$0.49 ₱31.28

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱178

$2.69 ₱170

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₱443

$4.22 ₱268

65.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱48.82

$1.30 ₱82.4

-40.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₱189

$1.99 ₱127

49.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.97

$0.17 ₱11.05

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 ₱919

$12.49 ₱792

16.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.7

$0.74 ₱47.19

35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.22 ₱13.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.90 ₱121

-2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱82.6

$0.97 ₱61.6

34.02%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

-0.17%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

2.17%

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

$94.4 ₱5,990

$118 ₱7,503

-20.17%

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

$16.64 ₱1,056

$15.47 ₱982

7.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ₱1,959

$47.75 ₱3,030

-35.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 ₱1,750

$35.86 ₱2,275

-23.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₱491

$5.11 ₱324

51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱299

$5.02 ₱319

-5.98%

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

$1,019 ₱64.6K

$131 ₱8,293

679.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 ₱333.6K

$7,774 ₱493.2K

-32.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 ₱3,171

$32.15 ₱2,039

55.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₱2,401

$19.42 ₱1,232

94.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,557

$71.8 ₱4,553

0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₱5,061

$54.0 ₱3,425

47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.5K

$250 ₱15.9K

54.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.4K

$166 ₱10.5K

17.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 ₱65.4K

$329 ₱20.9K

213.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.5K

$353 ₱22.4K

45.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 ₱255.4K

$2,668 ₱169.3K

50.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.8K

$1,111 ₱70.5K

37.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.4K

$191 ₱12.1K

-5.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

1.16%

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

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 26.6%

Zamboanga

$166 23.3% 14.9% $29

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$168 22.9%

Zamboanga

$165 23% 2.1% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$142 19.3%

Zamboanga

$181 25.4% 27.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$108 14.7%

Zamboanga

$80 11.2% 25.9% $28

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.1%

Zamboanga

$61 8.6% 8.5% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$37 5%

Zamboanga

$46 6.4% 24% $8.9

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Zamboanga

$15 2.1% 14.6% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $250 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zamboanga pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $17 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $165 per month, with Zamboanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Zamboanga 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Zamboanga

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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zamboanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $387 in Baguio versus $250 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zamboanga runs roughly 14% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Baguio versus $714 in Zamboanga – Zamboanga is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Zamboanga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.