Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuguegarao and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $570 a month against $737 in Baguio, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$570

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $570 in Tuguegarao versus $737 in Baguio.

Tuguegarao $570
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $909 in Tuguegarao versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Tuguegarao $909
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,249 in Tuguegarao versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Tuguegarao $1,249
Baguio $1,558

Living in Tuguegarao costs roughly 23% less than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tuguegarao 58% lower, Baguio 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 ₱101

$3.92 ₱251

-59.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.12 ₱1,030

$16.66 ₱1,064

-3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 ₱171

$2.73 ₱174

-1.83%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₱111

$1.80 ₱115

-3.33%

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

$0.42 ₱26.97

$0.55 ₱35.21

-23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.65

$0.33 ₱21.28

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱65.1

$0.99 ₱63.6

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₱97.5

$1.54 ₱98.2

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.59 ₱101

3.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.4

$1.14 ₱73.1

0.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₱43.28

$0.97 ₱61.7

-29.90%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱126

$1.99 ₱127

-0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.92 ₱314

$5.11 ₱326

-3.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ₱209

$3.27 ₱209

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 ₱508

$7.63 ₱487

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱141

$2.19 ₱140

0.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.4

$1.55 ₱99.3

-2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ₱144

$2.26 ₱144

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ₱65.0

$1.02 ₱65.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.73 ₱110

-0.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ₱111

$1.69 ₱108

2.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱39.24

$0.65 ₱41.24

-6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.17

$0.51 ₱32.75

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 ₱117

$2.94 ₱188

-37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 ₱539

$8.50 ₱543

-0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.5

$0.95 ₱60.5

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$2.05 ₱131

-1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.16

$0.22 ₱14.05

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ₱855

$12.90 ₱825

3.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.83

$0.81 ₱51.9

-7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.40

$0.24 ₱15.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$1.90 ₱121

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.19 ₱76.2

-9.24%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

0.35%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

-0.18%

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

$31.51 ₱2,013

$136 ₱8,684

-76.82%

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

$16.94 ₱1,082

$17.08 ₱1,091

-0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 ₱1,467

$23.01 ₱1,470

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 ₱2,018

$20.76 ₱1,326

52.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.24 ₱335

$5.23 ₱334

0.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱316

$5.03 ₱322

-1.59%

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

$132 ₱8,409

$132 ₱8,465

-0.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱682.3K

$10.6K ₱674.1K

1.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.57 ₱1,826

$28.91 ₱1,847

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.15 ₱1,223

$19.53 ₱1,248

-1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.08 ₱2,497

$71.5 ₱4,568

-45.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.29 ₱1,488

$54.9 ₱3,507

-57.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₱15.7K

$393 ₱25.1K

-37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$192 ₱12.3K

-12.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.8K

$819 ₱52.3K

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 ₱22.3K

$463 ₱29.6K

-24.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 ₱158.5K

$3,156 ₱201.6K

-21.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₱70.5K

$1,526 ₱97.5K

-27.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 ₱12.9K

$179 ₱11.4K

12.48%

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 Tuguegarao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tuguegarao

$170 29.8%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 0.6% $1

Accommodation & Living

Tuguegarao

$169 29.6%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 13.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuguegarao

$71 12.5%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 147% $105

Eating Out

Tuguegarao

$52 9.2%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 38.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Tuguegarao

$50 8.7%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 58.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Tuguegarao

$41 7.3%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 25.7% $11

Getting Around

Tuguegarao

$16 2.9%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 2.9% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $246 in Tuguegarao and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tuguegarao 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: $16 in Tuguegarao vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $171 per month, with Tuguegarao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

Same time as Tuguegarao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,334

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

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Tuguegarao Baguio 180 km

From you

Tuguegarao
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

Tuguegarao vs Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuguegarao wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Baguio. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tuguegarao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Tuguegarao, 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: $246 in Tuguegarao versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you’ll spend $570 per month in Tuguegarao versus $737 in Baguio – Tuguegarao is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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