Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, Philippines and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $614 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$614

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $614 in Santa Rosa versus $737 in Baguio.

Santa Rosa $614
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $873 in Santa Rosa versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Santa Rosa $873
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,131 in Santa Rosa versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Santa Rosa $1,131
Baguio $1,558

Living in Santa Rosa costs roughly 17% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Rosa 55% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 ₱157

$3.92 ₱249

-36.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.32 ₱1,036

$16.66 ₱1,058

-2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱175

$2.73 ₱173

1.10%

Cappuccino

$1.12 ₱70.9

$1.80 ₱114

-37.78%

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

$0.36 ₱22.62

$0.55 ₱34.99

-34.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱13.88

$0.33 ₱21.15

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.4

$0.99 ₱63.2

1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱80.2

$1.54 ₱97.6

-18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱102

$1.59 ₱101

0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.1

$1.14 ₱72.7

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.2

$0.97 ₱61.3

2.06%

Eggs

$1.53 ₱97.1

$1.99 ₱126

-23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱324

$5.11 ₱324

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ₱217

$3.27 ₱208

4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 ₱492

$7.63 ₱484

1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$2.19 ₱139

-0.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₱50.9

$1.55 ₱98.7

-48.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱144

$2.26 ₱143

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.6

$1.02 ₱64.7

-1.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱108

$1.73 ₱110

-1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.69 ₱107

2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱40.73

$0.65 ₱40.99

-1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.19

$0.51 ₱32.55

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱178

$2.94 ₱187

-4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 ₱556

$8.50 ₱540

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.6

$0.95 ₱60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱129

$2.05 ₱130

-0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.22 ₱13.97

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.39 ₱851

$12.90 ₱820

3.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.3

$0.81 ₱51.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.26

$0.24 ₱15.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱122

$1.90 ₱121

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱64.8

$1.19 ₱75.8

-14.29%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-0.15%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

1.98%

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

$62.5 ₱3,966

$136 ₱8,631

-54.05%

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

$6.40 ₱406

$17.08 ₱1,085

-62.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 ₱1,487

$23.01 ₱1,461

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.17 ₱1,979

$20.76 ₱1,318

50.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 ₱380

$5.23 ₱332

14.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱328

$5.03 ₱320

2.58%

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

$132 ₱8,354

$132 ₱8,414

-0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,549 ₱352.4K

$10.6K ₱670.1K

-47.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.17 ₱1,789

$28.91 ₱1,836

-2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,226

$19.53 ₱1,240

-1.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,541

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,496

$54.9 ₱3,486

0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.2K

$393 ₱25.0K

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.7K

$192 ₱12.2K

-12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₱31.4K

$819 ₱52.0K

-39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.7K

$463 ₱29.4K

-63.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 ₱156.0K

$3,156 ₱200.4K

-22.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,162 ₱73.8K

$1,526 ₱96.9K

-23.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$140 ₱8,879

$179 ₱11.4K

-21.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

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

Last update for Santa Rosa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa

$168 27.4%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 14.2% $24

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa

$166 27.1%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 3% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa

$92 15%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 90.8% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa

$78 12.8%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 0.4% $0.4

Eating Out

Santa Rosa

$51 8.3%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 42% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa

$41 6.8%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 25.7% $11

Getting Around

Santa Rosa

$16 2.6%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 2.6% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Santa Rosa and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baguio pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Santa Rosa vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $171 per month, with Santa Rosa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

Same time as Santa Rosa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

414,812

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

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Rosa Baguio 240 km

From you

Santa Rosa
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

Santa Rosa vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Rosa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Santa Rosa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $255 in Santa Rosa versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $614 per month in Santa Rosa versus $737 in Baguio – Santa Rosa is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 4% less than in Santa Rosa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Santa Rosa 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, Santa Rosa and Baguio are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Rosa wins on affordability, Baguio on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.