Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boracay and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $915 in Boracay, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boracay and in Baguio

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Boracay and in Baguio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Boracay versus $737 in Baguio.

Boracay $915
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,349 in Boracay versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Boracay $1,349
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,783 in Boracay versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Boracay $1,783
Baguio $1,558

Living in Boracay is roughly 24% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Boracay 33% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 ₱340

$3.92 ₱251

35.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.68 ₱1,195

$16.66 ₱1,066

12.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₱382

$2.73 ₱175

118.68%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ₱148

$1.80 ₱115

28.89%

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

$0.69 ₱44.18

$0.55 ₱35.26

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$0.33 ₱21.31

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₱76.2

$0.99 ₱63.7

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$1.54 ₱98.3

30.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 ₱187

$1.59 ₱102

84.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱81.5

$1.14 ₱73.2

11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.5

$0.97 ₱61.8

-7.22%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$1.99 ₱127

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 ₱322

$5.11 ₱327

-1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 ₱249

$3.27 ₱209

18.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 ₱415

$7.63 ₱488

-14.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱147

$2.19 ₱140

4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱96.1

$1.55 ₱99.5

-3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₱130

$2.26 ₱144

-10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱82.3

$1.02 ₱65.2

26.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$1.73 ₱110

26.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.69 ₱108

26.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.7

$0.65 ₱41.30

41.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.48

$0.51 ₱32.80

15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 ₱147

$2.94 ₱188

-22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₱487

$8.50 ₱544

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.3

$0.95 ₱60.6

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱126

$2.05 ₱131

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.06

$0.22 ₱14.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.67 ₱683

$12.90 ₱826

-17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱42.45

$0.81 ₱52.0

-18.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.24

$0.24 ₱15.42

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 ₱113

$1.90 ₱122

-7.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.19 ₱76.3

-7.56%

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

$22.9K ₱1.5M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

7.70%

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

$20.3K ₱1.3M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

7.96%

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

$109 ₱6,945

$136 ₱8,697

-20.15%

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

$15.54 ₱994

$17.08 ₱1,093

-9.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.36 ₱2,135

$23.01 ₱1,472

44.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 ₱2,143

$20.76 ₱1,328

61.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.90 ₱314

$5.23 ₱335

-6.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.21 ₱334

$5.03 ₱322

3.58%

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

$141 ₱8,997

$132 ₱8,478

6.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,871 ₱503.6K

$10.6K ₱675.2K

-25.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.63 ₱1,768

$28.91 ₱1,850

-4.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.45 ₱1,181

$19.53 ₱1,249

-5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 ₱4,304

$71.5 ₱4,575

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.7 ₱3,309

$54.9 ₱3,512

-5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.9K

$393 ₱25.2K

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₱21.6K

$192 ₱12.3K

75.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₱31.3K

$819 ₱52.4K

-40.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₱37.7K

$463 ₱29.6K

27.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱165.4K

$3,156 ₱201.9K

-18.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,129 ₱72.2K

$1,526 ₱97.6K

-26.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 ₱14.7K

$179 ₱11.5K

28.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

6.75

2.52%

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

Last update for Boracay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boracay

$337 36.8%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 43% $145

Groceries & Markets

Boracay

$187 20.5%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 8.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boracay

$157 17.2%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 11.8% $19

Eating Out

Boracay

$102 11.1%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 28.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Boracay

$74 8.1%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 5.9% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Boracay

$44 4.8%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 29.8% $13

Getting Around

Boracay

$13 1.5%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 17.9% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Boracay and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boracay pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Boracay vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Boracay

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

Same time as Boracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,296

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boracay Baguio 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Boracay
Baguio

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

Boracay vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Boracay. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Boracay, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $248 in Boracay versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $915 per month in Boracay versus $737 in Baguio – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Boracay runs roughly 17% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching 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, Boracay and Baguio are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Baguio wins on affordability, Boracay on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.