Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in El Nido and in Baguio: $730 and $737 a month, rent and utilities included.

35

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in El Nido versus $737 in Baguio.

El Nido $730
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,156 in El Nido versus $1,148 in Baguio.

El Nido $1,156
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,582 in El Nido versus $1,558 in Baguio.

El Nido $1,582
Baguio $1,558

Living in El Nido costs roughly 1% less than in Baguio.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Nido 46% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$3.92 ₱251

-1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₱1,939

$16.66 ₱1,064

82.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₱230

$2.73 ₱174

31.87%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$1.80 ₱115

21.67%

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

$1.14 ₱73.1

$0.55 ₱35.21

107.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱20.08

$0.33 ₱21.28

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.5

$0.99 ₱63.6

24.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$1.54 ₱98.2

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.59 ₱101

15.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱65.3

$1.14 ₱73.1

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$0.97 ₱61.7

30.93%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$1.99 ₱127

-7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 ₱379

$5.11 ₱326

16.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₱248

$3.27 ₱209

18.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ₱432

$7.63 ₱487

-11.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱147

$2.19 ₱140

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱103

$1.55 ₱99.3

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$1.02 ₱65.1

9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.73 ₱110

19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.69 ₱108

31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$0.65 ₱41.24

75.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱36.03

$0.51 ₱32.75

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱186

$2.94 ₱188

-0.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱529

$8.50 ₱543

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$0.95 ₱60.5

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱114

$2.05 ₱131

-13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.10

$0.22 ₱14.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.54 ₱865

$12.90 ₱825

4.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.41

$0.81 ₱51.9

-4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.24 ₱15.39

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₱127

$1.90 ₱121

4.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$1.19 ₱76.2

6.72%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-10.60%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

7.78%

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

$125 ₱8,015

$136 ₱8,684

-7.70%

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

$16.25 ₱1,038

$17.08 ₱1,091

-4.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 ₱1,500

$23.01 ₱1,470

2.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,012

$20.76 ₱1,326

51.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.99 ₱319

$5.23 ₱334

-4.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱324

$5.03 ₱322

0.80%

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

$144 ₱9,190

$132 ₱8,465

8.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,421 ₱538.1K

$10.6K ₱674.1K

-20.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.73 ₱2,155

$28.91 ₱1,847

16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,238

$19.53 ₱1,248

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,190

$71.5 ₱4,568

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 ₱3,980

$54.9 ₱3,507

13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$393 ₱25.1K

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$192 ₱12.3K

-16.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱32.4K

$819 ₱52.3K

-38.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.9K

$463 ₱29.6K

-22.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,535 ₱161.9K

$3,156 ₱201.6K

-19.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₱67.3K

$1,526 ₱97.5K

-30.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ₱15.7K

$179 ₱11.4K

37.48%

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 El Nido: October 27, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$181 24.8%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 5.4% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$165 22.6%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 6.6% $11

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$160 22%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 20% $32

Eating Out

El Nido

$84 11.5%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 13.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$81 11.2%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 3.4% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$42 5.7%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 26% $11

Getting Around

El Nido

$16 2.2%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 3% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

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

El Nido pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30 in El Nido vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

Same time as El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

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

El Nido Baguio 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Nido and Baguio differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($730 vs $737 including rent). El Nido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in El Nido, 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 El Nido versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $730 per month in El Nido versus $737 in Baguio – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 5% less than in El Nido. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though El Nido gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, El Nido 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.