Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $757 a month against $948 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Manila versus $757 in Baguio.

Manila $948
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,508 in Manila versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Manila $1,508
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,068 in Manila versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Manila $2,068
Baguio $1,585

Living in Manila is roughly 25% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 30% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$4.04 ₱255

35.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,695

$16.77 ₱1,056

60.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$2.85 ₱180

36.84%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$1.86 ₱117

40.86%

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

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.59 ₱37.34

130.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$0.30 ₱19.17

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$0.97 ₱61.3

25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.57 ₱98.9

47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.69 ₱106

15.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.1

$1.12 ₱70.7

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.96 ₱60.5

8.33%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$2.03 ₱128

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$5.22 ₱329

47.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$3.34 ₱210

47.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$8.04 ₱506

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$2.31 ₱145

39.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.59 ₱100

20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱184

$2.35 ₱148

24.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.08 ₱67.7

65.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.69 ₱107

37.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$1.76 ₱111

55.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$0.62 ₱38.85

241.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.50 ₱31.33

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$2.87 ₱181

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$9.00 ₱567

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.1

$0.92 ₱57.8

45.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.02 ₱127

-0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.47

$0.25 ₱15.84

88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$12.90 ₱812

-2.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.07

$0.77 ₱48.34

-5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.23 ₱14.44

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.93 ₱121

-3.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.6

$1.25 ₱78.7

2.40%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-0.51%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

1.59%

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

$124 ₱7,822

$138 ₱8,682

-9.90%

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

$15.73 ₱990

$17.71 ₱1,115

-11.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,536

$23.76 ₱1,496

2.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,727

$21.05 ₱1,325

105.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$5.19 ₱327

11.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱425

$5.30 ₱334

27.55%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$135 ₱8,486

367.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱566.9K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-15.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,668

$28.76 ₱1,811

102.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,721

$19.76 ₱1,244

38.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,758

$71.1 ₱4,479

6.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,564

$56.4 ₱3,551

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$409 ₱25.8K

31.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$200 ₱12.6K

42.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$836 ₱52.6K

124.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$466 ₱29.3K

40.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.4K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

67.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$930 ₱58.6K

171.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$182 ₱11.4K

156.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

6.75

10.07%

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

Last update for Manila: 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

Manila

$284 29.9%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 29.7% $84

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 20.8% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 9.1% $15

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 29.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 19.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 44.3% $25

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 2.4% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Manila and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 157% 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: $27.00 in Manila vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $176 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

Same time as Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

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

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Manila Baguio 210 km

From you

Manila
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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

Manila vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Manila. 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 157% higher in Manila, 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: $536 in Manila versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $948 per month in Manila versus $757 in Baguio – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 3% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $757 in Baguio versus $948 in Manila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Manila. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manila 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 25% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.