Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Island Garden City of Samal and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $715 a month against $734 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $230 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

34

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$715

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal and in Baguio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $734 in Baguio.

Island Garden City of Samal $715
Baguio $734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,104 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $1,206 in Baguio.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,104
Baguio $1,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,492 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $1,677 in Baguio.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,492
Baguio $1,677

Living in Island Garden City of Samal costs roughly 3% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Island Garden City of Samal 47% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.15 ₱72.3

$3.10 ₱195

-62.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.72 ₱1,054

$23.95 ₱1,509

-30.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱249

$2.71 ₱171

45.76%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱138

$1.69 ₱107

29.59%

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

$1.03 ₱64.7

$0.67 ₱42.33

53.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.90

$0.39 ₱24.33

69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.5

$1.14 ₱71.8

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

$1.91 ₱120

9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.78 ₱112

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$0.88 ₱55.3

21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱52.7

$0.97 ₱60.9

-13.40%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$1.83 ₱116

5.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 ₱396

$4.75 ₱299

32.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 ₱294

$3.22 ₱203

44.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ₱584

$7.01 ₱442

32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$2.58 ₱163

5.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$2.13 ₱134

-49.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.79 ₱176

-16.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₱74.3

$0.92 ₱57.7

28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$1.39 ₱87.6

37.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$1.37 ₱86.2

153.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$0.65 ₱41.11

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.55

$0.35 ₱22.08

88.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₱148

$2.81 ₱177

-16.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱497

$6.99 ₱440

12.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱79.9

$0.77 ₱48.50

64.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱101

$2.98 ₱188

-46.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.17

$0.25 ₱15.87

-4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.28 ₱774

$14.49 ₱913

-15.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.34

$1.00 ₱63.3

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.20

$0.22 ₱13.88

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱116

$1.86 ₱117

-1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.2

$1.30 ₱82.1

-6.15%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.37%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-2.14%

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

$100 ₱6,333

$94.4 ₱5,951

6.43%

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

$18.62 ₱1,173

$16.64 ₱1,049

11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.00 ₱1,954

$30.88 ₱1,946

0.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.00 ₱1,954

$27.58 ₱1,739

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.22 ₱329

$7.74 ₱488

-32.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱298

$4.72 ₱297

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

$103 ₱6,522

$1,019 ₱64.2K

-89.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,545 ₱475.6K

$5,258 ₱331.4K

43.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.51 ₱2,049

$49.98 ₱3,150

-34.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.14 ₱1,206

$37.84 ₱2,385

-49.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,456

$71.8 ₱4,528

-1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₱3,765

$79.8 ₱5,028

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$387 ₱24.4K

-35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₱10.5K

$195 ₱12.3K

-14.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₱30.3K

$1,031 ₱65.0K

-53.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$513 ₱32.3K

-30.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,635 ₱166.1K

$4,025 ₱253.7K

-34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 ₱68.7K

$1,526 ₱96.2K

-28.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

18.71%

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

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 31, 2026

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 27.5%

Baguio

$168 22.9% 14.6% $29

Accommodation & Living

Island Garden City of Samal

$166 23.3%

Baguio

$195 26.6% 17.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Island Garden City of Samal

$150 21%

Baguio

$142 19.3% 5.4% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Island Garden City of Samal

$82 11.5%

Baguio

$108 14.7% 31.5% $26

Eating Out

Island Garden City of Samal

$64 9%

Baguio

$67 9.1% 4.2% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.7%

Baguio

$37 5% 8.5% $3.4

Getting Around

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2.1%

Baguio

$18 2.4% 15.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Island Garden City of Samal and $387 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Island Garden City of Samal vs $24 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $168, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

Same time as Island Garden City of Samal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,771

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Island Garden City of Samal Baguio 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Island Garden City of Samal
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

Island Garden City of Samal vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Island Garden City of Samal wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Island Garden City of Samal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,072 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,102 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: $251 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $387 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $715 per month in Island Garden City of Samal versus $734 in Baguio – Island Garden City of Samal is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Island Garden City of Samal runs roughly 15% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Island Garden City of Samal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Baguio, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Island Garden City of Samal and Baguio are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.