Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaybalay and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in Malaybalay and in Baguio: $756 and $757 a month, rent and utilities included.

37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
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Malaybalay Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Malaybalay versus $757 in Baguio.

Malaybalay $756
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Malaybalay versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Malaybalay $1,182
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Malaybalay versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Malaybalay $1,607
Baguio $1,585

Monthly costs are close between Malaybalay and Baguio; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱308

$4.04 ₱255

21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,035

$16.77 ₱1,056

-1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₱221

$2.85 ₱180

23.16%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$1.86 ₱117

17.20%

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

$0.49 ₱31.14

$0.59 ₱37.34

-16.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.93

$0.30 ₱19.17

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$0.97 ₱61.3

16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.57 ₱98.9

22.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.69 ₱106

19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.12 ₱70.7

0.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.2

$0.96 ₱60.5

-8.33%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.03 ₱128

-7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$5.22 ₱329

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ₱307

$3.34 ₱210

45.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$8.04 ₱506

12.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ₱175

$2.31 ₱145

19.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.59 ₱100

-32.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$2.35 ₱148

1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.8

$1.08 ₱67.7

5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.69 ₱107

15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱213

$1.76 ₱111

92.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$0.62 ₱38.85

93.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$0.50 ₱31.33

32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$2.87 ₱181

-13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$9.00 ₱567

-13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$0.92 ₱57.8

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.02 ₱127

-19.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.60

$0.25 ₱15.84

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.70 ₱674

$12.90 ₱812

-17.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$0.77 ₱48.34

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.40

$0.23 ₱14.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.93 ₱121

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$1.25 ₱78.7

1.60%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

0.50%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.12%

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

$109 ₱6,856

$138 ₱8,682

-21.02%

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

$19.33 ₱1,217

$17.71 ₱1,115

9.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 ₱1,962

$23.76 ₱1,496

31.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.01 ₱1,890

$21.05 ₱1,325

42.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.18 ₱263

$5.19 ₱327

-19.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ₱306

$5.30 ₱334

-8.30%

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

$106 ₱6,689

$135 ₱8,486

-21.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,589 ₱477.8K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-29.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 ₱2,079

$28.76 ₱1,811

14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,216

$19.76 ₱1,244

-2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,451

$71.1 ₱4,479

-0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,821

$56.4 ₱3,551

7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.5K

$409 ₱25.8K

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$200 ₱12.6K

-13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₱27.8K

$836 ₱52.6K

-47.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.4K

$466 ₱29.3K

-13.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 ₱138.5K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

-16.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₱63.4K

$930 ₱58.6K

8.18%

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 Malaybalay: 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

Malaybalay

$199 26.4%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 11.7% $23

Accommodation & Living

Malaybalay

$173 22.8%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 15.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaybalay

$159 21.1%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 12.5% $20

Eating Out

Malaybalay

$89 11.7%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 15.5% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Malaybalay

$83 10.9%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 4.2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Malaybalay

$40 5.3%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 20.4% $8.1

Getting Around

Malaybalay

$14 1.8%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 16.8% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Malaybalay and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Malaybalay vs $17.00 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $176, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

Same time as Malaybalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,712

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malaybalay Baguio 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Malaybalay
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

Malaybalay vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,134 in Malaybalay 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: $279 in Malaybalay versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Malaybalay runs roughly 21% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Malaybalay 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, Malaybalay 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.

It comes down to priorities – Malaybalay wins on affordability, Baguio on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.