Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tagum City and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $757 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $437 in Tagum City versus $757 in Baguio.

Tagum City $437
Baguio $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $541 in Tagum City versus $1,171 in Baguio.

Tagum City $541
Baguio $1,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $645 in Tagum City versus $1,585 in Baguio.

Tagum City $645
Baguio $1,585

Living in Tagum City costs roughly 42% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tagum City 68% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 ₱346

$4.04 ₱255

36.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.68 ₱799

$16.77 ₱1,056

-24.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ₱318

$2.85 ₱180

77.19%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$1.86 ₱117

23.12%

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

$0.59 ₱37.34

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱19.17

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₱117

$0.97 ₱61.3

92.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₱90.9

$1.57 ₱98.9

-8.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.69 ₱106

-4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.5

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$2.03 ₱128

-7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.22 ₱329

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ₱210

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 ₱507

$8.04 ₱506

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$2.31 ₱145

177.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱107

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱38.85

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱181

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 ₱567

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$0.92 ₱57.8

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱127

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.25 ₱15.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.90 ₱812

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.25 ₱78.7

9.60%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

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

$55.7 ₱3,506

$138 ₱8,682

-59.61%

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

$8.09 ₱510

$17.71 ₱1,115

-54.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₱1,729

$23.76 ₱1,496

15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.71 ₱1,493

$21.05 ₱1,325

12.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 ₱327

Cinema Ticket

$3.28 ₱206

$5.30 ₱334

-38.11%

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

$135 ₱8,486

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱673.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.76 ₱1,811

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.76 ₱1,244

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,479

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,551

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 ₱9,992

$409 ₱25.8K

-61.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₱8,124

$200 ₱12.6K

-35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$323 ₱20.3K

$836 ₱52.6K

-61.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₱29.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 ₱166.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$930 ₱58.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ₱12.8K

$182 ₱11.4K

11.72%

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 Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tagum City

$129 29.5%

Baguio

$200 26.4% 54.7% $71

Eating Out

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6%

Baguio

$75 9.9% 24.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tagum City

$91 20.9%

Baguio

$179 23.7% 96.6% $88

Groceries & Markets

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9%

Baguio

$176 23.3% 103% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Tagum City

$30 6.9%

Baguio

$32 4.2% 4.6% $1.4

Getting Around

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 1482% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Tagum City

- * 0%

Baguio

$79 10.5%

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 $159 in Tagum City and $409 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tagum City pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $13.00 in Tagum City vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $87.0 vs $176 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

Same time as Tagum City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,202

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

Tagum City Baguio 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Tagum City
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

Tagum City vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagum City wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tagum City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Tagum City, 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: $159 in Tagum City versus $409 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $437 per month in Tagum City versus $757 in Baguio – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Baguio. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Tagum City 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, Tagum City 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Baguio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.