Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $771 in Tacloban, rent and utilities included – about $410 less a year. The total is higher in Tacloban despite lower rent and utilities.

37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Tacloban versus $737 in Baguio.

Tacloban $771
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,152 in Tacloban versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Tacloban $1,152
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Tacloban versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Tacloban $1,532
Baguio $1,558

Living in Tacloban is roughly 5% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tacloban 43% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$3.92 ₱251

2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.55 ₱994

$16.66 ₱1,064

-6.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱149

$2.73 ₱174

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ₱148

$1.80 ₱115

28.33%

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

$0.68 ₱43.57

$0.55 ₱35.21

23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱23.22

$0.33 ₱21.28

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₱102

$0.99 ₱63.6

60.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱138

$1.54 ₱98.2

40.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.59 ₱101

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$1.14 ₱73.1

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$0.97 ₱61.7

-17.53%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$1.99 ₱127

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ₱642

$5.11 ₱326

96.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₱262

$3.27 ₱209

25.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 ₱459

$7.63 ₱487

-5.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.19 ₱140

45.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.55 ₱99.3

-30.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱146

$2.26 ₱144

0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₱93.3

$1.02 ₱65.1

43.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.73 ₱110

32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.69 ₱108

9.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$0.65 ₱41.24

67.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.26

$0.51 ₱32.75

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ₱119

$2.94 ₱188

-36.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ₱402

$8.50 ₱543

-25.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱68.4

$0.95 ₱60.5

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.05 ₱131

-16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.82

$0.22 ₱14.05

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 ₱786

$12.90 ₱825

-4.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.88

$0.81 ₱51.9

-3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.07

$0.24 ₱15.39

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$1.90 ₱121

-2.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱66.2

$1.19 ₱76.2

-12.61%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-0.05%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.27%

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

$117 ₱7,485

$136 ₱8,684

-13.80%

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

$15.64 ₱999

$17.08 ₱1,091

-8.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 ₱1,811

$23.01 ₱1,470

23.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 ₱2,024

$20.76 ₱1,326

52.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.30 ₱339

$5.23 ₱334

1.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ₱342

$5.03 ₱322

6.56%

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

$131 ₱8,357

$132 ₱8,465

-1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,929 ₱506.6K

$10.6K ₱674.1K

-24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.33 ₱2,066

$28.91 ₱1,847

11.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,233

$19.53 ₱1,248

-1.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,889

$71.5 ₱4,568

7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,577

$54.9 ₱3,507

1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$393 ₱25.1K

-35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.2K

$192 ₱12.3K

-0.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₱31.8K

$819 ₱52.3K

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.2K

$463 ₱29.6K

-24.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱165.2K

$3,156 ₱201.6K

-18.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₱71.1K

$1,526 ₱97.5K

-27.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ₱21.7K

$179 ₱11.4K

89.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$195 25.3%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 12.4% $24

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.8%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 0.4% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$161 20.9%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 9.2% $15

Eating Out

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 12.6% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.7%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 5.1% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$42 5.5%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 27.3% $12

Getting Around

Tacloban

$15 1.9%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 5.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Tacloban and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tacloban pays 90% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Tacloban vs $17 in Baguio. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $171, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

366,358

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacloban Baguio 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
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

Tacloban vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Tacloban. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 90% higher in Tacloban, 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: $254 in Tacloban versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $771 per month in Tacloban versus $737 in Baguio – Baguio is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Tacloban runs roughly 5% 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.

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