Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Princesa and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $705 a month against $757 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $620 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baguio outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$705

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $705 in Puerto Princesa versus $757 in Baguio.

Puerto Princesa $705
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,050 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Puerto Princesa $1,050
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Puerto Princesa $1,396
Baguio $1,585

Living in Puerto Princesa costs roughly 7% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Princesa 48% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.28 ₱269

$4.04 ₱255

5.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.84 ₱1,061

$16.77 ₱1,056

0.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ₱289

$2.85 ₱180

61.05%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ₱147

$1.86 ₱117

25.81%

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

$0.88 ₱55.2

$0.59 ₱37.34

49.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.91

$0.30 ₱19.17

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱79.5

$0.97 ₱61.3

29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱149

$1.57 ₱98.9

50.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.69 ₱106

3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$1.12 ₱70.7

-8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$0.96 ₱60.5

-14.58%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.03 ₱128

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₱347

$5.22 ₱329

5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₱342

$3.34 ₱210

62.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.59 ₱415

$8.04 ₱506

-18.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ₱149

$2.31 ₱145

2.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ₱53.3

$1.59 ₱100

-46.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$2.35 ₱148

2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$1.08 ₱67.7

5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.69 ₱107

-9.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₱84.8

$1.76 ₱111

-23.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₱59.4

$0.62 ₱38.85

51.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱43.92

$0.50 ₱31.33

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱180

$2.87 ₱181

-0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₱458

$9.00 ₱567

-19.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₱66.6

$0.92 ₱57.8

15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.8

$2.02 ₱127

-33.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.71

$0.25 ₱15.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.06 ₱697

$12.90 ₱812

-14.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.36

$0.77 ₱48.34

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.17

$0.23 ₱14.44

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.93 ₱121

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$1.25 ₱78.7

-19.20%

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

$17.1K ₱1.1M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-20.42%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.49%

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

$62.2 ₱3,915

$138 ₱8,682

-54.90%

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

$10.94 ₱689

$17.71 ₱1,115

-38.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 ₱1,549

$23.76 ₱1,496

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.60 ₱2,052

$21.05 ₱1,325

54.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.75 ₱299

$5.19 ₱327

-8.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 ₱318

$5.30 ₱334

-4.72%

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

$133 ₱8,357

$135 ₱8,486

-1.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-24.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.45 ₱2,106

$28.76 ₱1,811

16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.50 ₱1,228

$19.76 ₱1,244

-1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,478

$71.1 ₱4,479

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.2 ₱3,541

$56.4 ₱3,551

-0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₱17.8K

$409 ₱25.8K

-30.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₱12.7K

$200 ₱12.6K

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 ₱32.7K

$836 ₱52.6K

-37.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₱19.7K

$466 ₱29.3K

-32.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 ₱151.4K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

-9.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 ₱63.4K

$930 ₱58.6K

8.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 ₱14.1K

$182 ₱11.4K

22.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.12

6.75

20.30%

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

Last update for Puerto Princesa: 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

Puerto Princesa

$201 28.5%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 0.8% $1.6

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Princesa

$176 24.9%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 0.2% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Princesa

$98 13.9%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 83.6% $82

Eating Out

Puerto Princesa

$93 13.2%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 19.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Princesa

$81 11.5%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 2.4% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Princesa

$43 6.1%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 25.9% $11

Getting Around

Puerto Princesa

$14 2%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 14.3% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Puerto Princesa and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Princesa pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Puerto Princesa vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $176 per month, with Puerto Princesa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Puerto Princesa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,079

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

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Highest

Between locations

Puerto Princesa Baguio 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Princesa
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

Puerto Princesa vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Princesa wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Princesa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Puerto Princesa, 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: $283 in Puerto Princesa versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $705 per month in Puerto Princesa versus $757 in Baguio – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Princesa runs roughly 17% less than in Baguio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Puerto Princesa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Princesa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Princesa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.