Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pablo and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pablo: $622 a month against $737 in Pagadian, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

San Pablo, Philippines
Pagadian, Philippines
San Pablo
🇵🇭 Philippines
$622
/mo nomad
Pagadian
🇵🇭 Philippines
$737
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $622 in San Pablo versus $737 in Pagadian.

  • San Pablo $622
  • Pagadian $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $900 in San Pablo versus $1,109 in Pagadian.

  • San Pablo $900
  • Pagadian $1,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,178 in San Pablo versus $1,481 in Pagadian.

  • San Pablo $1,178
  • Pagadian $1,481

Living in San Pablo costs roughly 16% less than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Pablo 54% lower, Pagadian 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.93 ₱252
$3.98 ₱255
-1.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.44 ₱1,052
$16.62 ₱1,064
-1.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.72 ₱174
$2.73 ₱175
-0.37%
Cappuccino
$1.82 ₱116
$1.96 ₱125
-7.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₱24.09
$0.78 ₱49.92
-51.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 ₱13.82
$0.22 ₱14.07
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.95 ₱60.9
$1.39 ₱88.9
-31.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ₱102
$2.01 ₱129
-20.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 ₱106
$1.65 ₱106
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 ₱70.5
$1.13 ₱72.3
-2.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.96 ₱61.6
$0.95 ₱61.1
1.05%
Eggs
$1.97 ₱126
$1.71 ₱109
15.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.15 ₱329
$5.56 ₱356
-7.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ₱218
$4.06 ₱260
-16.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.35 ₱471
$7.76 ₱497
-5.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 ₱144
$2.56 ₱164
-11.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 ₱90.9
$1.31 ₱83.8
8.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 ₱101
$2.38 ₱152
-33.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.01 ₱64.5
$1.27 ₱81.6
-20.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 ₱98.5
$1.92 ₱123
-19.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.70 ₱109
$2.27 ₱145
-25.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 ₱38.90
$1.18 ₱75.3
-48.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₱30.97
$0.51 ₱32.70
-5.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74 ₱175
$2.81 ₱180
-2.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.29 ₱402
$6.49 ₱416
-3.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₱57.8
$0.86 ₱55.3
4.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₱125
$2.12 ₱136
-8.02%
🚌 Getting Around
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 ₱15.43
$0.24 ₱15.30
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.11 ₱775
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 ₱48.04
$0.86 ₱55.1
-12.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱14.05
$0.20 ₱13.03
10.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.86 ₱119
$1.62 ₱104
14.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 ₱75.5
$1.01 ₱64.6
16.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ₱1.3M
$19.5K ₱1.2M
7.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$21.2K ₱1.4M
-9.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 ₱8,796
$119 ₱7,598
15.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.65 ₱745
$17.43 ₱1,115
-33.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.40 ₱1,497
$23.97 ₱1,534
-2.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$28.59 ₱1,830
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$5.41 ₱346
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.95 ₱317
$4.65 ₱297
6.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$130 ₱8,287
$146 ₱9,320
-11.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K ₱694.4K
$7,275 ₱465.5K
49.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.47 ₱1,822
$28.98 ₱1,854
-1.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.79 ₱1,202
$20.35 ₱1,302
-7.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.8 ₱4,469
$68.8 ₱4,400
1.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$55.3 ₱3,540
$62.1 ₱3,972
-10.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$140 ₱8,935
$251 ₱16.1K
-44.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$125 ₱7,992
$186 ₱11.9K
-32.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$202 ₱12.9K
$488 ₱31.2K
-58.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$187 ₱12.0K
$353 ₱22.6K
-46.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$924 ₱59.1K
$2,580 ₱165.1K
-64.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$789 ₱50.5K
$1,254 ₱80.3K
-37.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Pablo
Pagadian
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$278 ₱17.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
6.92
-2.46%

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

Last update for San Pablo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Pablo
$173
Pagadian
$160 7.2% $12
Groceries & Markets
San Pablo
$162
Pagadian
$178 9.7% $16
Accommodation & Living
San Pablo
$125
Pagadian
$186 49.1% $61
Clothing & Footwear
San Pablo
$78
Pagadian
$81 4.5% $3.5
Eating Out
San Pablo
$72
Pagadian
$79 9.4% $6.7
Sport & Entertainment
San Pablo
$9.9 *
Pagadian
$38 282% $28
Getting Around
San Pablo
$2.8 *
Pagadian
$15 432% $12

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 $140 in San Pablo and $251 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in San Pablo vs $17 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $178 per month, with San Pablo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 San Pablo
🇵🇭 Pagadian
🕒 Local time
03:02 3:02 AM
03:02 3:02 AM
Same time as San Pablo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
266,068
199,060
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.23 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Pablo Pagadian 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Pablo
  • Pagadian

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 Pablo vs Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in San Pablo and in Pagadian?
San Pablo and Pagadian differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($622 vs $737 including rent). San Pablo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in San Pablo compared to Pagadian?
You’d need roughly $933 in San Pablo and $1,105 in Pagadian 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.
How do apartment prices compare in San Pablo and in Pagadian?
Rent for a central apartment: $140 in San Pablo versus $251 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Pagadian. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: San Pablo or Pagadian?
All in, you’ll spend $622 per month in San Pablo versus $737 in Pagadian – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $1,200 go in San Pablo compared to Pagadian?
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.
Where should families live: San Pablo or Pagadian?
For families, San Pablo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pagadian, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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