Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $497 a month against $734 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$497

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $497 in Mambajao versus $734 in Baguio.

Mambajao $497
Baguio $734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $799 in Mambajao versus $1,206 in Baguio.

Mambajao $799
Baguio $1,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,101 in Mambajao versus $1,677 in Baguio.

Mambajao $1,101
Baguio $1,677

Living in Mambajao costs roughly 32% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mambajao 63% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱86.2

$3.10 ₱197

-56.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.81 ₱1,005

$23.95 ₱1,523

-33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 ₱204

$2.71 ₱173

18.08%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱138

$1.69 ₱108

28.99%

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

$0.38 ₱24.00

$0.67 ₱42.70

-43.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.85

$0.39 ₱24.55

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$1.14 ₱72.4

-17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱70.8

$1.91 ₱122

-41.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 ₱53.1

$1.78 ₱113

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 ₱36.53

$0.88 ₱55.8

-35.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ₱42.84

$0.97 ₱61.4

-30.93%

Eggs

$1.20 ₱76.4

$1.83 ₱117

-34.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.43 ₱345

$4.75 ₱302

14.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₱265

$3.22 ₱205

29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 ₱355

$7.01 ₱446

-20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ₱145

$2.58 ₱164

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱95.3

$2.13 ₱135

-29.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱152

$2.79 ₱177

-14.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$0.92 ₱58.2

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₱78.4

$1.39 ₱88.4

-11.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$1.37 ₱87.0

60.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.1

$0.65 ₱41.46

67.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.36

$0.35 ₱22.27

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱185

$2.81 ₱179

3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 ₱473

$6.99 ₱444

6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱64.5

$0.77 ₱48.92

31.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱73.1

$2.98 ₱190

-61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.06

$0.25 ₱16.00

-16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.49 ₱794

$14.49 ₱921

-13.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.14

$1.00 ₱63.8

-24.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.22 ₱14.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱78.3

$1.30 ₱82.8

-5.38%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.45%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

1.43%

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

$63.3 ₱4,025

$94.4 ₱6,003

-32.94%

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

$15.26 ₱970

$16.64 ₱1,058

-8.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 ₱1,220

$30.88 ₱1,963

-37.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.84 ₱1,961

$27.58 ₱1,754

11.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.33 ₱339

$7.74 ₱492

-31.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 ₱318

$4.72 ₱300

5.93%

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

$128 ₱8,160

$1,019 ₱64.8K

-87.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,987 ₱507.8K

$5,258 ₱334.3K

51.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.01 ₱2,035

$49.98 ₱3,178

-35.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,232

$37.84 ₱2,406

-48.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₱4,415

$71.8 ₱4,567

-3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,526

$79.8 ₱5,072

-30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$96.7 ₱6,150

$387 ₱24.6K

-74.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.8 ₱3,545

$195 ₱12.4K

-71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ₱15.0K

$1,031 ₱65.6K

-77.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₱9,779

$513 ₱32.6K

-69.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ₱167.3K

$4,025 ₱255.9K

-34.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₱70.2K

$1,526 ₱97.0K

-27.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$150 ₱9,530

$180 ₱11.4K

-16.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

-1.14%

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

Last update for Mambajao: November 3, 2026

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mambajao

$152 30.6%

Baguio

$168 22.9% 10.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$98 19.7%

Baguio

$142 19.3% 45.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$79 16%

Baguio

$108 14.7% 35.8% $28

Eating Out

Mambajao

$56 11.3%

Baguio

$67 9.1% 19.4% $11

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.2%

Baguio

$195 26.6% 250% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$41 8.2%

Baguio

$37 5% 9.4% $3.8

Getting Around

Mambajao

$15 3.1%

Baguio

$18 2.4% 16% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $97 in Mambajao and $387 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 20% 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: $16 in Mambajao vs $24 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $168 per month, with Mambajao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

Same time as Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mambajao Baguio 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mambajao wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mambajao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Mambajao. 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: $97 in Mambajao versus $387 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $497 per month in Mambajao versus $734 in Baguio – Mambajao is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mambajao runs roughly 14% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Mambajao 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, Mambajao and Baguio are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Mambajao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.