Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumaguete and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in Dumaguete and in Baguio: $791 and $757 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index

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Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$791

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in Dumaguete versus $757 in Baguio.

Dumaguete $791
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,202 in Dumaguete versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Dumaguete $1,202
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,612 in Dumaguete versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Dumaguete $1,612
Baguio $1,585

Living in Dumaguete is roughly 5% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dumaguete 41% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ₱242

$4.04 ₱255

-4.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,020

$16.77 ₱1,056

-3.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ₱262

$2.85 ₱180

46.32%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱143

$1.86 ₱117

22.04%

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

$0.72 ₱45.42

$0.59 ₱37.34

22.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱27.45

$0.30 ₱19.17

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₱84.2

$0.97 ₱61.3

38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.57 ₱98.9

17.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.69 ₱106

-4.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.12 ₱70.7

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$0.96 ₱60.5

-1.04%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.03 ₱128

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 ₱528

$5.22 ₱329

60.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 ₱277

$3.34 ₱210

31.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱441

$8.04 ₱506

-12.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$2.31 ₱145

-29.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₱82.0

$1.59 ₱100

-18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$2.35 ₱148

49.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.08 ₱67.7

15.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$1.69 ₱107

43.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₱98.8

$1.76 ₱111

-10.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₱49.58

$0.62 ₱38.85

27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.27

$0.50 ₱31.33

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.87 ₱181

-19.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 ₱557

$9.00 ₱567

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱75.7

$0.92 ₱57.8

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱79.1

$2.02 ₱127

-37.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₱25.84

$0.25 ₱15.84

64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 ₱635

$12.90 ₱812

-21.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.64

$0.77 ₱48.34

-10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₱10.41

$0.23 ₱14.44

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱138

$1.93 ₱121

13.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.7

$1.25 ₱78.7

-15.20%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.75%

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

$24.1K ₱1.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

27.02%

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

$67.1 ₱4,227

$138 ₱8,682

-51.31%

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

$10.05 ₱632

$17.71 ₱1,115

-43.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.78 ₱1,623

$23.76 ₱1,496

8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 ₱1,496

$21.05 ₱1,325

12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.06 ₱256

$5.19 ₱327

-21.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 ₱455

$5.30 ₱334

36.42%

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

$57.8 ₱3,639

$135 ₱8,486

-57.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,698 ₱106.9K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-84.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 ₱5,945

$28.76 ₱1,811

228.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 ₱2,022

$19.76 ₱1,244

62.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₱6,429

$71.1 ₱4,479

43.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₱7,053

$56.4 ₱3,551

98.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$409 ₱25.8K

-41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₱13.0K

$200 ₱12.6K

3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$836 ₱52.6K

-48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$466 ₱29.3K

-23.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 ₱194.0K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

16.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$693 ₱43.7K

$930 ₱58.6K

-25.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 ₱17.4K

$182 ₱11.4K

51.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.70%

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

Last update for Dumaguete: October 12, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dumaguete

$207 26.2%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 3.6% $7.4

Groceries & Markets

Dumaguete

$191 24.1%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 7.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Dumaguete

$153 19.4%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 48.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dumaguete

$103 13%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 74.2% $76

Eating Out

Dumaguete

$86 10.8%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 12.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Dumaguete

$38 4.8%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 17.2% $6.6

Getting Around

Dumaguete

$13 1.7%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 19.4% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Dumaguete and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumaguete pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Dumaguete vs $17.00 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $191 vs $176, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Dumaguete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,103

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dumaguete Baguio 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dumaguete
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

Dumaguete vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Dumaguete. 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 52% higher in Dumaguete, 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: $238 in Dumaguete versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $791 per month in Dumaguete versus $757 in Baguio – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 28% less than in Dumaguete. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Baguio gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dumaguete 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.

Expats usually find Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Dumaguete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.