Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surigao and Baguio

For one person, living costs are similar in Surigao and in Baguio: $736 and $757 a month, rent and utilities included.

36

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
Learn more

Baguio Living Index

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Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$736

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Surigao versus $757 in Baguio.

Surigao $736
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,124 in Surigao versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Surigao $1,124
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,512 in Surigao versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Surigao $1,512
Baguio $1,585

Living in Surigao costs roughly 3% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surigao 45% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱251

$4.04 ₱255

-1.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ₱1,122

$16.77 ₱1,056

6.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.87 ₱181

$2.85 ₱180

0.70%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ₱125

$1.86 ₱117

6.99%

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

$0.73 ₱45.85

$0.59 ₱37.34

23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱19.84

$0.30 ₱19.17

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$0.97 ₱61.3

29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₱134

$1.57 ₱98.9

35.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.69 ₱106

-4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₱61.6

$1.12 ₱70.7

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$0.96 ₱60.5

3.13%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱122

$2.03 ₱128

-4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.75 ₱362

$5.22 ₱329

10.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 ₱261

$3.34 ₱210

23.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 ₱433

$8.04 ₱506

-14.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$2.31 ₱145

-10.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.2

$1.59 ₱100

-0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 ₱161

$2.35 ₱148

8.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱73.6

$1.08 ₱67.7

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.69 ₱107

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$0.62 ₱38.85

32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱37.75

$0.50 ₱31.33

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$2.87 ₱181

3.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 ₱427

$9.00 ₱567

-24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱66.3

$0.92 ₱57.8

14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.02 ₱127

-14.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.48

$0.25 ₱15.84

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.30 ₱712

$12.90 ₱812

-12.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.51

$0.77 ₱48.34

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.66

$0.23 ₱14.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$1.93 ₱121

-3.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.0

$1.25 ₱78.7

5.60%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-12.91%

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

$18.0K ₱1.1M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-5.37%

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

$124 ₱7,799

$138 ₱8,682

-10.17%

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

$15.97 ₱1,006

$17.71 ₱1,115

-9.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.80 ₱2,191

$23.76 ₱1,496

46.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.92 ₱2,262

$21.05 ₱1,325

70.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱326

$5.19 ₱327

-0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ₱313

$5.30 ₱334

-6.42%

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

$144 ₱9,095

$135 ₱8,486

7.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,892 ₱433.9K

$10.7K ₱673.8K

-35.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.99 ₱2,329

$28.76 ₱1,811

28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.93 ₱1,318

$19.76 ₱1,244

5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,384

$71.1 ₱4,479

-2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.50 ₱3,116

$56.4 ₱3,551

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₱15.3K

$409 ₱25.8K

-40.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.6K

$200 ₱12.6K

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₱29.0K

$836 ₱52.6K

-44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₱22.9K

$466 ₱29.3K

-22.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₱153.3K

$2,647 ₱166.7K

-8.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,108 ₱69.8K

$930 ₱58.6K

19.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 ₱11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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

Last update for Surigao: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surigao

$175 23.7%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 2.7% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Surigao

$174 23.7%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 1% $1.8

Accommodation & Living

Surigao

$168 22.9%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 18.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Surigao

$80 10.8%

Baguio

$79 10.5% 0.6% $0.4

Eating Out

Surigao

$79 10.7%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 5.3% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Surigao

$46 6.2%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 31% $14

Getting Around

Surigao

$14 1.9%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 11.6% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Surigao and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surigao vs $17.00 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $174 vs $176, with Surigao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Surigao

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Surigao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,107

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surigao Baguio 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Surigao
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

Surigao vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surigao wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surigao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,104 in Surigao and $1,135 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: $243 in Surigao versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $736 per month in Surigao versus $757 in Baguio – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Surigao runs roughly 14% 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 Surigao 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, Surigao 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 Surigao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.