Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in General Santos: $628 a month against $757 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

31

Cost of Living Index in General Santos
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General Santos Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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General Santos

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in General Santos versus $757 in Baguio.

General Santos $628
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,009 in General Santos versus $1,171 in Baguio.

General Santos $1,009
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,391 in General Santos versus $1,585 in Baguio.

General Santos $1,391
Baguio $1,585

Living in General Santos costs roughly 17% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: General Santos 53% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 ₱213

$4.04 ₱255

-16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.40 ₱1,725

$16.77 ₱1,056

63.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱172

$2.85 ₱180

-4.56%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.86 ₱117

37.63%

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

$0.28 ₱17.41

$0.59 ₱37.34

-52.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$0.30 ₱19.17

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱99.3

$0.97 ₱61.3

62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.57 ₱98.9

49.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.69 ₱106

18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$1.12 ₱70.7

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₱54.7

$0.96 ₱60.5

-9.37%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$2.03 ₱128

-8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$5.22 ₱329

22.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₱300

$3.34 ₱210

42.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ₱582

$8.04 ₱506

15.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ₱172

$2.31 ₱145

18.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.59 ₱100

-32.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₱154

$2.35 ₱148

4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₱74.6

$1.08 ₱67.7

10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$1.69 ₱107

17.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₱207

$1.76 ₱111

86.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.2

$0.62 ₱38.85

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.60

$0.50 ₱31.33

36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱155

$2.87 ₱181

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 ₱488

$9.00 ₱567

-13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.5

$0.92 ₱57.8

35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$2.02 ₱127

-16.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₱24.37

$0.25 ₱15.84

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 ₱513

$12.90 ₱812

-36.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.25

$0.77 ₱48.34

1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.79

$0.23 ₱14.44

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.4

$1.93 ₱121

-57.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.25 ₱78.7

-10.40%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.82%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.63%

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

$76.6 ₱4,825

$138 ₱8,682

-44.42%

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

$6.53 ₱411

$17.71 ₱1,115

-63.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ₱1,994

$23.76 ₱1,496

33.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.05 ₱1,325

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 ₱327

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 ₱309

$5.30 ₱334

-7.36%

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

$109 ₱6,840

$135 ₱8,486

-19.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,532 ₱474.2K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-29.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₱3,767

$28.76 ₱1,811

108.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ₱1,931

$19.76 ₱1,244

55.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ₱4,428

$71.1 ₱4,479

-1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,823

$56.4 ₱3,551

7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$409 ₱25.8K

-57.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₱7,068

$200 ₱12.6K

-43.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$836 ₱52.6K

-57.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$466 ₱29.3K

-48.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 ₱166.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$930 ₱58.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 ₱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 General Santos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

General Santos

$199 31.7%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 11.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

General Santos

$115 18.3%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 56.2% $65

Accommodation & Living

General Santos

$112 17.9%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 77.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

General Santos

$100 15.9%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 20.5% $20

Eating Out

General Santos

$81 12.8%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 7.1% $5.8

Getting Around

General Santos

$12 1.9%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 34.8% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

General Santos

$9.8 * 1.6%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 222% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $174 in General Santos and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in General Santos vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $176 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 General Santos

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

Same time as General Santos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,315

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

General Santos Baguio 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

General Santos
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

General Santos vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $942 in General Santos and $1,135 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $174 in General Santos versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in General Santos versus $757 in Baguio – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in General Santos runs roughly 58% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

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, General Santos 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 General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.