Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaluyong and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $1,066 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index

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Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,066

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,066 in Mandaluyong versus $737 in Baguio.

Mandaluyong $1,066
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,643 in Mandaluyong versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Mandaluyong $1,643
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,221 in Mandaluyong versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Mandaluyong $2,221
Baguio $1,558

Living in Mandaluyong is roughly 45% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaluyong 22% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱308

$3.92 ₱251

22.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.11 ₱1,029

$16.66 ₱1,064

-3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.48 ₱222

$2.73 ₱174

27.47%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₱140

$1.80 ₱115

22.22%

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

$0.96 ₱61.3

$0.55 ₱35.21

74.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.33 ₱21.28

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱74.0

$0.99 ₱63.6

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ₱149

$1.54 ₱98.2

51.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.59 ₱101

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ₱83.9

$1.14 ₱73.1

14.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.2

$0.97 ₱61.7

-3.09%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱140

$1.99 ₱127

10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 ₱324

$5.11 ₱326

-0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₱306

$3.27 ₱209

46.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱435

$7.63 ₱487

-10.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱211

$2.19 ₱140

50.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₱121

$1.55 ₱99.3

21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱191

$2.26 ₱144

32.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.02 ₱65.1

76.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱141

$1.73 ₱110

27.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ₱164

$1.69 ₱108

51.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.34

$0.65 ₱41.24

-4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.91

$0.51 ₱32.75

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱179

$2.94 ₱188

-4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.55 ₱546

$8.50 ₱543

0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₱56.0

$0.95 ₱60.5

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$2.05 ₱131

-1.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₱20.59

$0.22 ₱14.05

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.10 ₱837

$12.90 ₱825

1.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.38

$0.81 ₱51.9

-6.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.24 ₱15.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.5

$1.19 ₱76.2

0.84%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-0.79%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.16%

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

$138 ₱8,839

$136 ₱8,684

1.79%

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

$17.04 ₱1,089

$17.08 ₱1,091

-0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.94 ₱1,530

$23.01 ₱1,470

4.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.69 ₱2,025

$20.76 ₱1,326

52.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.23 ₱334

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ₱385

$5.03 ₱322

19.88%

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

$132 ₱8,429

$132 ₱8,465

-0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,937 ₱571.0K

$10.6K ₱674.1K

-15.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.86 ₱1,780

$28.91 ₱1,847

-3.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.00 ₱1,725

$19.53 ₱1,248

38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ₱4,505

$71.5 ₱4,568

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,529

$54.9 ₱3,507

0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₱46.4K

$393 ₱25.1K

84.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 ₱29.2K

$192 ₱12.3K

137.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 ₱153.0K

$819 ₱52.3K

192.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 ₱63.6K

$463 ₱29.6K

115.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,203 ₱268.6K

$3,156 ₱201.6K

33.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,924 ₱186.8K

$1,526 ₱97.5K

91.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 ₱34.3K

$179 ₱11.4K

200.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Mandaluyong: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaluyong

$457 42.9%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 58% $265

Groceries & Markets

Mandaluyong

$196 18.4%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 12.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaluyong

$179 16.8%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 1.9% $3.3

Eating Out

Mandaluyong

$92 8.6%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 20.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaluyong

$81 7.6%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 3.2% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaluyong

$44 4.1%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 29.5% $13

Getting Around

Mandaluyong

$16 1.5%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 3.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Mandaluyong and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Mandaluyong vs $17 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $171, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Mandaluyong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,758

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mandaluyong Baguio 210 km

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Mandaluyong
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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

Mandaluyong vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Mandaluyong. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Mandaluyong is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $727 in Mandaluyong versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Mandaluyong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,066 per month in Mandaluyong versus $737 in Baguio – Baguio is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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