Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palawan and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $784 in Palawan, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Palawan despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in Palawan
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Palawan Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Palawan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$784

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Palawan versus $737 in Baguio.

Palawan $784
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Palawan versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Palawan $1,223
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Palawan versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Palawan $1,661
Baguio $1,558

Living in Palawan is roughly 6% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Palawan 42% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 ₱222

$3.92 ₱251

-11.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.38 ₱1,240

$16.66 ₱1,066

16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.31 ₱212

$2.73 ₱175

21.25%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱161

$1.80 ₱115

40.00%

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

$0.78 ₱49.86

$0.55 ₱35.26

41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱25.24

$0.33 ₱21.31

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$0.99 ₱63.7

32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱137

$1.54 ₱98.3

39.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.59 ₱102

19.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ₱77.8

$1.14 ₱73.2

7.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$0.97 ₱61.8

3.09%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱128

$1.99 ₱127

0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 ₱506

$5.11 ₱327

54.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱278

$3.27 ₱209

33.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 ₱487

$7.63 ₱488

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 ₱183

$2.19 ₱140

31.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱101

$1.55 ₱99.5

1.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 ₱168

$2.26 ₱144

15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.4

$1.02 ₱65.2

51.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱143

$1.73 ₱110

29.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₱162

$1.69 ₱108

50.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱70.8

$0.65 ₱41.30

70.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱48.22

$0.51 ₱32.80

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱185

$2.94 ₱188

-1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 ₱445

$8.50 ₱544

-18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$0.95 ₱60.6

23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱127

$2.05 ₱131

-3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.50

$0.22 ₱14.07

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.46 ₱734

$12.90 ₱826

-11.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱52.1

$0.81 ₱52.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.06

$0.24 ₱15.42

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 ₱133

$1.90 ₱122

9.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₱72.5

$1.19 ₱76.3

-5.04%

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

$26.1K ₱1.7M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

22.87%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

10.40%

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

$112 ₱7,146

$136 ₱8,697

-17.84%

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

$33.36 ₱2,135

$17.08 ₱1,093

95.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.52 ₱1,761

$23.01 ₱1,472

19.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 ₱2,189

$20.76 ₱1,328

64.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.55 ₱291

$5.23 ₱335

-13.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ₱381

$5.03 ₱322

18.49%

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

$153 ₱9,808

$132 ₱8,478

15.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,354 ₱278.6K

$10.6K ₱675.2K

-58.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.66 ₱2,985

$28.91 ₱1,850

61.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.57 ₱1,700

$19.53 ₱1,249

36.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 ₱4,762

$71.5 ₱4,575

4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 ₱3,463

$54.9 ₱3,512

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.8K

$393 ₱25.2K

-33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.2K

$192 ₱12.3K

-9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 ₱36.8K

$819 ₱52.4K

-29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ₱25.0K

$463 ₱29.6K

-15.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,321 ₱148.5K

$3,156 ₱201.9K

-26.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,122 ₱71.8K

$1,526 ₱97.6K

-26.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$179 ₱11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.75

-1.19%

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

Last update for Palawan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Palawan

$202 25.8%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 15.4% $31

Accommodation & Living

Palawan

$174 22.2%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 10.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palawan

$173 22%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 2% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Palawan

$91 11.6%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 13.3% $12

Eating Out

Palawan

$84 10.7%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 12.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Palawan

$46 5.9%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 33.2% $15

Getting Around

Palawan

$14 1.8%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 9.6% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Palawan and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Palawan vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Palawan

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

Same time as Palawan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

939,594

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Palawan Baguio 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Palawan
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

Palawan vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Palawan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,176 in Palawan and $1,106 in Baguio 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 Palawan versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $784 per month in Palawan versus $737 in Baguio – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Palawan runs roughly 11% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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, Palawan 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.