Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando, Philippines and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $734 a month against $807 in San Fernando, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
Learn more

San Fernando Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index

Jump to prices

San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$807

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in San Fernando versus $734 in Baguio.

San Fernando $807
Baguio $734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,271 in San Fernando versus $1,206 in Baguio.

San Fernando $1,271
Baguio $1,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,735 in San Fernando versus $1,677 in Baguio.

San Fernando $1,735
Baguio $1,677

Living in San Fernando is roughly 10% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Fernando 40% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 ₱195

$3.10 ₱197

-0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.84 ₱1,516

$23.95 ₱1,523

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$2.71 ₱173

4.06%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₱109

$1.69 ₱108

1.18%

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

$0.64 ₱40.43

$0.67 ₱42.70

-4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱24.23

$0.39 ₱24.55

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$1.14 ₱72.4

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$1.91 ₱122

2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.78 ₱113

-1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$0.88 ₱55.8

-1.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.1

$0.97 ₱61.4

-1.03%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$1.83 ₱117

3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 ₱293

$4.75 ₱302

-3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱210

$3.22 ₱205

2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 ₱448

$7.01 ₱446

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$2.13 ₱135

-3.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 ₱175

$2.79 ₱177

-1.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.0

$1.39 ₱88.4

-0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ₱83.8

$1.37 ₱87.0

-3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.09

$0.65 ₱41.46

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.37

$0.35 ₱22.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ₱172

$2.81 ₱179

-3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 ₱442

$6.99 ₱444

-0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱47.73

$0.77 ₱48.92

-2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₱187

$2.98 ₱190

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.80

$0.25 ₱16.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.59 ₱864

$14.49 ₱921

-6.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.7

$1.00 ₱63.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.70

$0.22 ₱14.00

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$1.86 ₱118

4.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.30 ₱82.8

-2.31%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.87%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.34%

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

$96.3 ₱6,121

$94.4 ₱6,003

1.97%

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

$17.18 ₱1,092

$16.64 ₱1,058

3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.29 ₱1,926

$30.88 ₱1,963

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.66 ₱2,013

$27.58 ₱1,754

14.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.57 ₱990

$7.74 ₱492

101.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 ₱296

$4.72 ₱300

-1.27%

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

$267 ₱17.0K

$1,019 ₱64.8K

-73.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ₱855.9K

$5,258 ₱334.3K

156.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.06 ₱3,119

$49.98 ₱3,178

-1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 ₱2,399

$37.84 ₱2,406

-0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,542

$71.8 ₱4,567

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 ₱4,982

$79.8 ₱5,072

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₱25.6K

$387 ₱24.6K

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.9K

$195 ₱12.4K

36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₱46.0K

$1,031 ₱65.6K

-29.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 ₱35.6K

$513 ₱32.6K

9.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,249 ₱270.2K

$4,025 ₱255.9K

5.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,385 ₱151.6K

$1,526 ₱97.0K

56.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for San Fernando: November 1, 2026

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Fernando

$266 32.9%

Baguio

$195 26.6% 26.6% $71

Groceries & Markets

San Fernando

$167 20.7%

Baguio

$168 22.9% 0.5% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Fernando

$144 17.8%

Baguio

$142 19.3% 1.3% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

San Fernando

$106 13.2%

Baguio

$108 14.7% 1.2% $1.3

Eating Out

San Fernando

$67 8.3%

Baguio

$67 9.1% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

San Fernando

$41 5.1%

Baguio

$37 5% 9.7% $4

Getting Around

San Fernando

$17 2.1%

Baguio

$18 2.4% 6.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in San Fernando and $387 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in San Fernando vs $24 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $168 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

Same time as San Fernando

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

354,666

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Fernando Baguio 150 km

From you

San Fernando
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

San Fernando vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in San Fernando. 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 $1,211 in San Fernando and $1,102 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: $402 in San Fernando versus $387 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $807 per month in San Fernando versus $734 in Baguio – Baguio is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando runs roughly 6% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.