Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index

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Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $569 in Butuan versus $737 in Baguio.

Butuan $569
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $899 in Butuan versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Butuan $899
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,229 in Butuan versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Butuan $1,229
Baguio $1,558

Living in Butuan costs roughly 23% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 58% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱298

$3.92 ₱251

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.45 ₱1,690

$16.66 ₱1,064

58.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.32 ₱149

$2.73 ₱174

-15.02%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ₱131

$1.80 ₱115

13.33%

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

$0.30 ₱19.14

$0.55 ₱35.21

-45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.34

$0.33 ₱21.28

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱101

$0.99 ₱63.6

59.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱151

$1.54 ₱98.2

53.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.59 ₱101

20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱71.0

$1.14 ₱73.1

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.2

$0.97 ₱61.7

-7.22%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$1.99 ₱127

-8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.42 ₱410

$5.11 ₱326

25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱303

$3.27 ₱209

45.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ₱601

$7.63 ₱487

23.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ₱170

$2.19 ₱140

21.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.55 ₱99.3

-29.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱153

$2.26 ₱144

6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$1.02 ₱65.1

14.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$1.73 ₱110

13.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 ₱218

$1.69 ₱108

101.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.3

$0.65 ₱41.24

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.69

$0.51 ₱32.75

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₱155

$2.94 ₱188

-17.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ₱491

$8.50 ₱543

-9.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$0.95 ₱60.5

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱103

$2.05 ₱131

-21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.7

$0.81 ₱51.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.24 ₱15.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$1.90 ₱121

1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱68.0

$1.19 ₱76.2

-10.92%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.24%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

1.82%

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

$106 ₱6,755

$136 ₱8,684

-22.21%

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

$18.42 ₱1,177

$17.08 ₱1,091

7.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ₱1,957

$23.01 ₱1,470

33.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.59 ₱1,507

$20.76 ₱1,326

13.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 ₱267

$5.03 ₱322

-16.90%

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

$106 ₱6,768

$132 ₱8,465

-20.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,473 ₱477.5K

$10.6K ₱674.1K

-29.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,805

$28.91 ₱1,847

106.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 ₱1,926

$19.53 ₱1,248

54.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ₱4,410

$71.5 ₱4,568

-3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,878

$54.9 ₱3,507

10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₱25.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱52.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₱29.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,156 ₱201.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱97.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

6.75

23.11%

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

Last update for Butuan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butuan

$198 34.9%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 13.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butuan

$155 27.2%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 13.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Butuan

$99 17.3%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 20.3% $20

Eating Out

Butuan

$84 14.7%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 12.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Butuan

$32 5.6%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 3.5% $1.1

Getting Around

Butuan

$2 * 0.4%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 686% $14

Accommodation & Living

Butuan

- * 0%

Baguio

$192 26.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26 in Butuan vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Butuan

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

Same time as Butuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,063

366,358

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Butuan Baguio 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Butuan
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

Butuan vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $854 in Butuan and $1,106 in Baguio 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.

Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $569 per month in Butuan versus $737 in Baguio – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Butuan 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.