Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laoag City and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in Laoag City and in Baguio: $743 and $757 a month, rent and utilities included.

36

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $743 in Laoag City versus $757 in Baguio.

Laoag City $743
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,112 in Laoag City versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Laoag City $1,112
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Laoag City versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Laoag City $1,480
Baguio $1,585

Living in Laoag City costs roughly 2% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Laoag City 45% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 ₱215

$4.04 ₱255

-15.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.52 ₱1,040

$16.77 ₱1,056

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.94 ₱185

$2.85 ₱180

3.16%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱160

$1.86 ₱117

36.56%

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

$0.67 ₱42.11

$0.59 ₱37.34

13.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.52

$0.30 ₱19.17

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.3

$0.97 ₱61.3

3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.57 ₱98.9

17.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱102

$1.69 ₱106

-3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ₱73.8

$1.12 ₱70.7

4.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$0.96 ₱60.5

-4.17%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$2.03 ₱128

-3.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.25 ₱331

$5.22 ₱329

0.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₱271

$3.34 ₱210

28.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 ₱456

$8.04 ₱506

-9.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$2.31 ₱145

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.59 ₱100

2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$2.35 ₱148

3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₱74.6

$1.08 ₱67.7

10.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.69 ₱107

14.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ₱119

$1.76 ₱111

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₱63.3

$0.62 ₱38.85

62.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.73

$0.50 ₱31.33

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$2.87 ₱181

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 ₱464

$9.00 ₱567

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$0.92 ₱57.8

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.02 ₱127

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.39

$0.25 ₱15.84

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.99 ₱755

$12.90 ₱812

-7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱45.76

$0.77 ₱48.34

-5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.14

$0.23 ₱14.44

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱138

$1.93 ₱121

13.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$1.25 ₱78.7

-17.60%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

0.78%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.15%

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

$136 ₱8,542

$138 ₱8,682

-1.61%

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

$14.48 ₱912

$17.71 ₱1,115

-18.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.79 ₱1,561

$23.76 ₱1,496

4.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.51 ₱2,047

$21.05 ₱1,325

54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 ₱321

$5.19 ₱327

-1.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱316

$5.30 ₱334

-5.09%

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

$133 ₱8,385

$135 ₱8,486

-1.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,190 ₱515.6K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-23.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.49 ₱2,108

$28.76 ₱1,811

16.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.72 ₱1,242

$19.76 ₱1,244

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,481

$71.1 ₱4,479

0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,483

$56.4 ₱3,551

-1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$409 ₱25.8K

-34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 ₱10.8K

$200 ₱12.6K

-14.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.3K

$836 ₱52.6K

-38.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₱20.7K

$466 ₱29.3K

-29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₱153.3K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

-8.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 ₱68.4K

$930 ₱58.6K

16.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₱10.2K

$182 ₱11.4K

-10.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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

Last update for Laoag City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Laoag City

$179 24.2%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 1.9% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laoag City

$175 23.5%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 2.5% $4.4

Accommodation & Living

Laoag City

$171 23%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 16.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Laoag City

$81 10.9%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 2% $1.6

Eating Out

Laoag City

$79 10.7%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 5.6% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Laoag City

$43 5.7%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 25.6% $11

Getting Around

Laoag City

$15 2%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 5.7% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Laoag City and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 12% 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: $17.00 in Laoag City vs $17.00 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $176, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Laoag City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,117

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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Between locations

Laoag City Baguio 200 km

From you

Laoag City
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

Laoag City vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Laoag City wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Laoag City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Baguio. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Laoag City versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $743 per month in Laoag City versus $757 in Baguio – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Laoag City runs roughly 8% 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 Laoag City 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, Laoag City 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 Laoag City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.