Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $757 a month against $825 in Mandaue, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
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Mandaue Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $825 in Mandaue versus $757 in Baguio.

Mandaue $825
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Mandaue versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Mandaue $1,203
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,581 in Mandaue versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Mandaue $1,581
Baguio $1,585

Living in Mandaue is roughly 9% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaue 39% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ₱187

$4.04 ₱255

-26.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,476

$16.77 ₱1,056

39.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.85 ₱180

40.00%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱162

$1.86 ₱117

38.71%

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

$1.54 ₱97.0

$0.59 ₱37.34

161.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.05

$0.30 ₱19.17

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱108

$0.97 ₱61.3

77.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₱144

$1.57 ₱98.9

45.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.69 ₱106

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.7

$1.12 ₱70.7

-2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$0.96 ₱60.5

-3.12%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱124

$2.03 ₱128

-2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₱624

$5.22 ₱329

89.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ₱275

$3.34 ₱210

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱481

$8.04 ₱506

-5.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$2.31 ₱145

50.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ₱90.0

$1.59 ₱100

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱144

$2.35 ₱148

-2.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ₱92.5

$1.08 ₱67.7

36.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.69 ₱107

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₱124

$1.76 ₱111

11.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.62 ₱38.85

91.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.41

$0.50 ₱31.33

34.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₱149

$2.87 ₱181

-17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 ₱396

$9.00 ₱567

-30.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$0.92 ₱57.8

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.02 ₱127

-14.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.97

$0.25 ₱15.84

-4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 ₱609

$12.90 ₱812

-25.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.69

$0.77 ₱48.34

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.19

$0.23 ₱14.44

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$1.93 ₱121

-2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.3

$1.25 ₱78.7

5.60%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-1.18%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.65%

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

$98.3 ₱6,187

$138 ₱8,682

-28.73%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$17.71 ₱1,115

-20.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 ₱1,758

$23.76 ₱1,496

17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 ₱2,078

$21.05 ₱1,325

56.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱332

$5.19 ₱327

1.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ₱358

$5.30 ₱334

7.36%

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

$130 ₱8,204

$135 ₱8,486

-3.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,979 ₱502.4K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-25.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₱2,072

$28.76 ₱1,811

14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 ₱1,235

$19.76 ₱1,244

-0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ₱4,790

$71.1 ₱4,479

6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 ₱3,632

$56.4 ₱3,551

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$409 ₱25.8K

4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$200 ₱12.6K

25.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₱47.1K

$836 ₱52.6K

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.2K

$466 ₱29.3K

-24.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,174 ₱136.9K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

-17.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$902 ₱56.8K

$930 ₱58.6K

-3.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$234 ₱14.8K

$182 ₱11.4K

29.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaue

$251 30.5%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 20.6% $52

Groceries & Markets

Mandaue

$205 24.8%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 14% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaue

$140 17%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 27.9% $39

Eating Out

Mandaue

$88 10.7%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 14.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaue

$84 10.2%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 5.5% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaue

$44 5.4%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 28.7% $13

Getting Around

Mandaue

$12 1.5%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 27.5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Mandaue and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaue pays 29% 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: $23.00 in Mandaue vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $176 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Mandaue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,116

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

Mandaue Baguio 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mandaue
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

Mandaue vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Mandaue. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Mandaue, 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: $429 in Mandaue versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $825 per month in Mandaue versus $757 in Baguio – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 33% less than in Mandaue. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Baguio 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, Mandaue 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 Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mandaue. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.