Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marawi and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in Marawi and in Baguio: $720 and $737 a month, rent and utilities included.

Marawi, Philippines
Baguio, Philippines
Marawi
🇵🇭 Philippines
$720
/mo nomad
Baguio
🇵🇭 Philippines
$737
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Marawi versus $737 in Baguio.

  • Marawi $720
  • Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in Marawi versus $1,148 in Baguio.

  • Marawi $1,102
  • Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,484 in Marawi versus $1,558 in Baguio.

  • Marawi $1,484
  • Baguio $1,558

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Marawi 47% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.83 ₱243
$3.92 ₱249
-2.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.52 ₱1,174
$16.66 ₱1,056
11.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.69 ₱170
$2.73 ₱173
-1.47%
Cappuccino
$2.18 ₱138
$1.80 ₱114
21.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₱42.96
$0.55 ₱34.93
23.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₱19.31
$0.33 ₱21.11
-9.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.28 ₱81.4
$0.99 ₱63.1
29.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 ₱143
$1.54 ₱97.4
46.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₱100
$1.59 ₱101
-0.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 ₱72.8
$1.14 ₱72.5
0.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.91 ₱57.7
$0.97 ₱61.2
-6.19%
Eggs
$1.90 ₱120
$1.99 ₱126
-4.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.60 ₱355
$5.11 ₱324
9.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.13 ₱262
$3.27 ₱207
26.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.85 ₱434
$7.63 ₱483
-10.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ₱152
$2.19 ₱139
9.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 ₱96.1
$1.55 ₱98.5
-1.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 ₱147
$2.26 ₱143
2.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.15 ₱73.0
$1.02 ₱64.6
12.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 ₱131
$1.73 ₱109
19.65%
Onion (1kg)
$2.25 ₱143
$1.69 ₱107
33.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₱70.0
$0.65 ₱40.91
69.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₱36.50
$0.51 ₱32.49
13.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.30 ₱209
$2.94 ₱186
12.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.50 ₱412
$8.50 ₱539
-23.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 ₱53.6
$0.95 ₱60.0
-10.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 ₱136
$2.05 ₱130
4.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱14.08
$0.22 ₱13.94
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.88 ₱753
$12.90 ₱818
-7.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.73 ₱46.27
$0.81 ₱51.5
-9.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 ₱15.47
$0.24 ₱15.27
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.72 ₱109
$1.90 ₱120
-9.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 ₱76.7
$1.19 ₱75.6
1.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.3K ₱1.3M
$21.3K ₱1.3M
-4.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K ₱1.2M
$18.8K ₱1.2M
0.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 ₱8,151
$136 ₱8,615
-5.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.78 ₱1,000
$17.08 ₱1,083
-7.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.96 ₱1,519
$23.01 ₱1,458
4.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.95 ₱1,772
$20.76 ₱1,316
34.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.10 ₱323
$5.23 ₱332
-2.49%
Cinema Ticket
$5.13 ₱325
$5.03 ₱319
1.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 ₱8,115
$132 ₱8,397
-3.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,981 ₱505.8K
$10.6K ₱668.8K
-24.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.94 ₱2,024
$28.91 ₱1,833
10.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.14 ₱1,213
$19.53 ₱1,238
-2.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.6 ₱4,476
$71.5 ₱4,532
-1.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.5 ₱3,452
$54.9 ₱3,479
-0.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$252 ₱15.9K
$393 ₱24.9K
-36.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$164 ₱10.4K
$192 ₱12.2K
-14.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$487 ₱30.9K
$819 ₱51.9K
-40.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 ₱21.9K
$463 ₱29.3K
-25.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,810 ₱178.1K
$3,156 ₱200.0K
-10.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,103 ₱69.9K
$1,526 ₱96.7K
-27.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marawi
Baguio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$284 ₱18.0K
$179 ₱11.3K
58.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.92
6.75
2.52%

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

Last update for Marawi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Marawi
$176
Baguio
$171 2.9% $5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marawi
$168
Baguio
$176 4.5% $7.7
Accommodation & Living
Marawi
$164
Baguio
$192 17.4% $29
Eating Out
Marawi
$80
Baguio
$73 8.8% $7
Clothing & Footwear
Marawi
$79
Baguio
$79 0.8% $0.6
Sport & Entertainment
Marawi
$38
Baguio
$31 19.3% $7.4
Getting Around
Marawi
$15
Baguio
$16 7.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $252 in Marawi and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marawi pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Marawi vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Marawi
🇵🇭 Baguio
🕒 Local time
14:47 2:47 PM
14:47 2:47 PM
Same time as Marawi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
207,010
366,358
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.04 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marawi Baguio 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Marawi
  • 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
Marawi vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Marawi or in Baguio?
Average pay runs 58% higher in Marawi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Marawi compared to Baguio?
Rent for a central apartment: $252 in Marawi versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Marawi compared to Baguio?
A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 8% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Are groceries more expensive in Marawi or in Baguio?
Shoppers in Baguio pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Marawi or in Baguio?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Marawi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Marawi or Baguio?
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.

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