Cost of Living in Baguio

Baguio's accommodation market spans a wide range, from ultra-budget bed spaces in student boarding houses to fully furnished condominiums near pine forests. At the lowest end, shared dormitory-style rooms in boarding houses along Legarda Road, Bonifacio Street, General Luna, or Magsaysay Avenue run P3,000-P6,000/month ($52-$103), and a private single room in these same boarding houses costs P7,000-P10,000/month ($121-$172). These are basic -- expect a bed, shared bathroom, and typically water and electricity included in the price. Moving up, studio apartments in the city proper range from P7,000 to P15,000/month ($121-$259), with a standalone one-bedroom apartment or condo unit running P10,000-P20,000/month ($172-$345). Premium furnished units in the Brentwood/Vista Brenthill area near Camp John Hay command P32,000-P35,000/month ($552-$603). For nomads who prefer the Airbnb route, expect significantly higher prices: the median nightly rate is around $74, which translates to roughly $2,200/month -- far above what you would pay negotiating directly with a landlord. Monthly Airbnb discounts bring some listings down to the $800-$1,200 range, but local apartment hunting through Lamudi, Facebook groups, or walking the neighborhoods will always yield better long-term rates.

Baguio is one of the most rewarding cities in the Philippines for eating on a budget, and its cool highland climate means the dining scene leans toward hearty, comfort-style cooking rather than the lighter fare of the lowland provinces. At the most affordable end, carinderias (also called turo-turo, meaning "point-point") are found on virtually every block around Session Road, the Baguio City Market area, and near the universities. A plate of rice with one viand -- such as adobo, sinigang, or pinakbet, a Cordilleran vegetable stew with fermented shrimp paste -- costs between PHP 60-90 ($1.03-$1.55), while adding a second viand brings the total to about PHP 120 ($2.07). Budget institutions like Good Taste Cafe & Restaurant near Session Road are legendary for huge, shareable portions of Chinese-Filipino dishes at remarkably low prices, with most single-portion plates running PHP 100-180 ($1.72-$3.10). For a digital nomad eating primarily at carinderias and cooking some meals at home, a daily food spend of PHP 300-400 ($5.17-$6.90) is entirely realistic, translating to roughly $155-$210 per month on food alone.

Baguio's grocery scene is defined by one major advantage: the city sits at the heart of the Philippines' vegetable-growing region, meaning fresh highland produce is significantly cheaper and fresher here than anywhere else in the country. The Baguio City Public Market is the crown jewel -- a sprawling, multi-level market that is one of the most famous in the Philippines. Here, Benguet-grown carrots, potatoes, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and the region's iconic strawberries are available at prices well below Manila levels. Lettuce heads go for as little as PHP 40 ($0.69), tomatoes for PHP 60-66/kg ($1.03-$1.14), potatoes for PHP 103-107/kg ($1.78-$1.84), and carrots for PHP 120-140/kg ($2.07-$2.41). Strawberries from nearby La Trinidad typically cost PHP 250/kg ($4.31) at the market. The market also sells fresh fish, meats, dried goods, and local specialties like ube jam, peanut brittle, and woven textiles. Bargaining is customary -- starting 10-20% below the quoted price is standard practice -- and arriving before 8 AM gets you the freshest selection.

Baguio's local transport revolves around jeepneys, taxis, tricycles, and the occasional Grab ride. Jeepneys are the workhorses of the city, running fixed routes that connect Session Road and Burnham Park to outlying neighborhoods like Mines View, Camp John Hay, and the public market. The minimum fare is PHP 13-15 (~$0.25) for short hops, making them absurdly cheap, though routes can be confusing for newcomers and vehicles fill up fast during rush hour. Metered taxis are plentiful and Baguio has a well-earned reputation for honest drivers who use the meter by default -- the flag-down rate is PHP 45 (~$0.78) with roughly PHP 2 per additional kilometer, so a cross-city ride typically lands between PHP 80-150 (~$1.40-2.60). Grab operates in Baguio but with very limited driver availability; the app often fails to secure a ride, particularly during peak hours or tourist season from November through February. Tricycles handle short-distance trips within specific barangays for PHP 20-50 (~$0.35-0.86) per ride.

The Philippines has three major mobile operators -- Globe, Smart (owned by PLDT), and the newer DITO Telecommunity -- and all have coverage in Baguio, though signal quality varies noticeably by neighborhood and provider. Smart/PLDT generally performs best in Baguio and the broader Cordillera region, with more consistent 4G/LTE coverage across the city. Globe can be unreliable in certain hillside areas, particularly around the outskirts and inside buildings with thick walls. Prepaid SIM cards cost just PHP 50-100 (~$0.86-1.72) and are available at any 7-Eleven or convenience store -- registration with valid ID is now mandatory under Philippine SIM Registration Act. For monthly data, Smart's unlimited 5G/4G pack runs PHP 749 (~$13) for 30 days, while budget options like DITO's Level-UP 109 give you 8GB for PHP 109 (~$1.88) over 30 days. Most digital nomads find that a Smart prepaid SIM with unlimited data is the best combination of reliability and value in Baguio.

Baguio offers a surprisingly solid healthcare infrastructure for a mid-sized Philippine city, anchored by three main hospitals that serve the entire Cordillera Administrative Region. Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) is the largest, a government-run tertiary facility with 500 beds currently expanding to a 1,500-bed "Apex Hospital" with 16 specialty centers expected to be fully operational by 2028-2030. For private care, Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital (125 beds, Level 2 accredited) on General Luna Road and Pines City Doctors Hospital (110 beds, Level 2 accredited) on Magsaysay Avenue offer cleaner facilities, shorter wait times, and more personalized attention. For routine matters, numerous private clinics are scattered throughout the Session Road and Magsaysay Avenue areas.

The visa situation for digital nomads in the Philippines has improved significantly. Citizens of roughly 157 countries receive 30-day visa-free entry, which can be extended at the Bureau of Immigration office in Baguio for an additional 29 days for PHP 4,060 (about $73), bringing your initial stay to 59 days. Further extensions of one or two months each are available, and you can theoretically extend up to a maximum of 36 months (3 years) before needing to exit and re-enter, though fees accumulate with each extension (roughly PHP 3,000-5,000 per month). The game-changer is the Philippines Digital Nomad Visa, officially launched in mid-2025 under Executive Order No. 86, which grants a 12-month stay renewable once for a total of 24 months. Requirements include a minimum annual income of USD $24,000 from foreign sources, valid international health insurance, a clean criminal record, and proof of remote employment. Crucially, DNV holders are not considered Philippine tax residents, meaning your foreign-sourced income is not subject to local income tax.