Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $839 in Davao, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Davao versus $737 in Baguio.

Davao $839
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Davao versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Davao $1,275
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Davao versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Davao $1,712
Baguio $1,558

Living in Davao is roughly 14% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Davao 38% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 ₱300

$3.92 ₱250

20.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 ₱1,677

$16.66 ₱1,061

58.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 ₱244

$2.73 ₱174

40.29%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$1.80 ₱114

40.56%

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

$1.06 ₱67.5

$0.55 ₱35.10

92.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.75

$0.33 ₱21.21

87.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱97.3

$0.99 ₱63.4

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$1.54 ₱97.9

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱125

$1.59 ₱101

23.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.14 ₱72.9

-6.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$0.97 ₱61.5

-6.19%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱117

$1.99 ₱127

-7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱408

$5.11 ₱325

25.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱293

$3.27 ₱208

40.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ₱572

$7.63 ₱486

17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$2.19 ₱139

22.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.5

$1.55 ₱99.0

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱155

$2.26 ₱144

7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$1.02 ₱64.9

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.73 ₱110

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₱214

$1.69 ₱108

98.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.9

$0.65 ₱41.11

90.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱45.16

$0.51 ₱32.64

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱157

$2.94 ₱187

-16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱509

$8.50 ₱541

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$0.95 ₱60.3

33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱101

$2.05 ₱131

-22.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.22 ₱14.01

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.16 ₱838

$12.90 ₱822

2.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.5

$0.81 ₱51.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$0.24 ₱15.35

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱117

$1.90 ₱121

-3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.4

$1.19 ₱76.0

2.52%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

0.37%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

1.39%

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

$105 ₱6,681

$136 ₱8,657

-22.82%

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

$19.14 ₱1,219

$17.08 ₱1,088

12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 ₱1,921

$23.01 ₱1,465

31.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₱2,189

$20.76 ₱1,322

65.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 ₱219

$5.23 ₱333

-34.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱303

$5.03 ₱321

-5.57%

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

$104 ₱6,643

$132 ₱8,438

-21.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ₱480.0K

$10.6K ₱672.0K

-28.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 ₱3,888

$28.91 ₱1,841

111.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 ₱1,958

$19.53 ₱1,244

57.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₱4,438

$71.5 ₱4,554

-2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ₱3,827

$54.9 ₱3,496

9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$393 ₱25.1K

-11.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.6K

$192 ₱12.2K

19.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₱46.0K

$819 ₱52.2K

-11.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₱25.7K

$463 ₱29.5K

-12.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 ₱100.9K

$3,156 ₱201.0K

-49.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 ₱86.9K

$1,526 ₱97.2K

-10.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.2K

$179 ₱11.4K

15.63%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$229 27.3%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 16.1% $37

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$197 23.5%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 13.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$154 18.4%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 14.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$100 11.9%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 21.1% $21

Eating Out

Davao

$99 11.8%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 26.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$44 5.2%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 29.7% $13

Getting Around

Davao

$16 1.9%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 1.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Davao and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Davao pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Davao vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

Same time as Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

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

Davao Baguio 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Davao
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

Davao vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Davao. 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 16% higher in Davao, 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: $350 in Davao versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Davao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $839 per month in Davao versus $737 in Baguio – Baguio is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Davao and Baguio are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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