Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and San Pablo

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pablo: $634 a month against $717 in Pagadian, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in San Pablo
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San Pablo Living Index

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Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

San Pablo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pagadian and in San Pablo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pagadian and in San Pablo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Pagadian versus $634 in San Pablo.

Pagadian $717
San Pablo $634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,100 in Pagadian versus $917 in San Pablo.

Pagadian $1,100
San Pablo $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Pagadian versus $1,200 in San Pablo.

Pagadian $1,483
San Pablo $1,200

Living in Pagadian is roughly 13% more expensive than in San Pablo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pagadian 47% lower, San Pablo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ₱240

$3.90 ₱245

-2.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.55 ₱1,042

$16.47 ₱1,037

0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱174

$2.81 ₱177

-1.42%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₱121

$1.83 ₱115

5.46%

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

$0.87 ₱54.7

$0.38 ₱24.14

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.39

$0.18 ₱11.26

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₱89.3

$1.03 ₱64.7

37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.63 ₱103

22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ₱107

$1.67 ₱105

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₱65.8

$1.10 ₱69.2

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.5

$0.94 ₱59.1

-1.06%

Eggs

$1.63 ₱102

$2.08 ₱131

-21.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.93 ₱310

$5.14 ₱324

-4.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 ₱258

$3.41 ₱215

20.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 ₱381

$7.73 ₱487

-21.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₱163

$2.32 ₱146

12.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₱90.8

$1.41 ₱88.8

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₱159

$1.61 ₱101

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$1.04 ₱65.3

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 ₱111

$1.61 ₱101

9.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.78 ₱112

10.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$0.61 ₱38.28

47.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.28

$0.52 ₱32.95

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$2.84 ₱179

9.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 ₱506

$6.49 ₱409

23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$0.95 ₱60.0

7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₱107

$2.02 ₱127

-15.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.36

$0.23 ₱14.37

13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.91 ₱687

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.09

$0.81 ₱51.0

-9.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.71

$0.25 ₱15.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$1.87 ₱118

1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$1.15 ₱72.5

-7.83%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

-12.16%

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

$17.9K ₱1.1M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-7.39%

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

$122 ₱7,687

$143 ₱9,016

-14.73%

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

$15.52 ₱977

$11.84 ₱746

31.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.08 ₱1,516

$23.37 ₱1,471

3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.90 ₱2,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.29 ₱270

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 ₱352

$5.13 ₱323

8.97%

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

$129 ₱8,114

$132 ₱8,290

-2.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,823 ₱429.6K

$10.9K ₱683.6K

-37.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.11 ₱2,148

$29.42 ₱1,852

15.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.27 ₱1,088

$19.58 ₱1,232

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ₱4,719

$71.5 ₱4,502

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,527

$55.6 ₱3,500

0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.5K

$142 ₱8,963

84.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₱10.2K

$125 ₱7,875

29.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ₱32.0K

$206 ₱13.0K

147.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$188 ₱11.8K

90.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 ₱162.2K

$956 ₱60.2K

169.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 ₱62.2K

$811 ₱51.1K

21.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$292 ₱18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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

Last update for Pagadian: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Pablo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pagadian

$173 24.1%

San Pablo

$166 26.2% 4% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pagadian

$162 22.6%

San Pablo

$178 28.1% 10.3% $17

Accommodation & Living

Pagadian

$161 22.5%

San Pablo

$125 19.7% 22.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Pagadian

$82 11.5%

San Pablo

$79 12.5% 3.4% $2.8

Eating Out

Pagadian

$77 10.8%

San Pablo

$72 11.4% 6.7% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Pagadian

$47 6.6%

San Pablo

$10 * 1.6% 78.2% $37

Getting Around

Pagadian

$14 1.9%

San Pablo

$3 * 0.5% 78.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Pagadian and $142 in San Pablo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Pagadian vs $16.00 in San Pablo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $166 per month, with San Pablo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🇵🇭 San Pablo

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

Same time as Pagadian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

199,060

266,068

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Pagadian San Pablo 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pagadian
San Pablo

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

Pagadian vs San Pablo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pagadian and San Pablo differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($717 vs $634 including rent). San Pablo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,075 in Pagadian and $951 in San Pablo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $263 in Pagadian versus $142 in San Pablo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Pagadian. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $717 per month in Pagadian versus $634 in San Pablo – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though San Pablo 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, Pagadian and San Pablo 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 San Pablo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Pagadian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.