Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aba and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $408 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$408

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aba and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aba and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $408 per month in Aba vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Aba $408
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $664 per month in Aba vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Aba $664
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $921 per month in Aba vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Aba $921
Cebu $1,900

Aba is about 56% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Aba and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Aba 70% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 ₦9,880

$3.92 ₱247

89.54%

Cappuccino

$0.87 ₦1,159

$2.51 ₱158

-65.34%

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

$1.59 ₱100

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ₦2,746

$1.78 ₱112

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₦3,120

$2.17 ₱137

8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.69 ₦4,907

$1.92 ₱121

92.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 ₦2,951

$1.36 ₱85.4

63.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 ₦15.2K

$9.86 ₱621

15.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.28 ₦1,703

$7.60 ₱479

-83.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 ₦7,121

$3.30 ₱208

62.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 ₦740

$1.39 ₱87.8

-59.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 ₦4,811

$2.36 ₱149

53.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₦1,539

$1.19 ₱74.9

-2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₦184

$0.63 ₱39.71

-77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.47 ₦1,959

$3.00 ₱189

-51.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₦9,870

$6.03 ₱379

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₦1,683

$1.23 ₱77.7

3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₦1,940

$1.75 ₱110

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.24 ₦12.3K

$12.64 ₱796

-26.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

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

$6,010 ₦8.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-71.71%

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

$7,584 ₦10.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-60.39%

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

$116 ₦153.7K

$120 ₱7,569

-3.88%

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

$2.22 ₦2,957

$14.00 ₱882

-84.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.39 ₦60.4K

$27.54 ₱1,734

64.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$2.06 ₦2,734

$5.65 ₱356

-63.54%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,067 ₦1.4M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-86.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 ₦20.2K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-80.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.89 ₦25.1K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-66.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ₦177.5K

$500 ₱31.5K

-73.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ₦599.4K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-58.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 ₦303.9K

$615 ₱38.7K

-62.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 ₦1.5M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-61.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$469 ₦624.0K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-75.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$96.4 ₦128.2K

$346 ₱21.8K

-72.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

66.67%

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

Last update for Aba: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aba

–

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Groceries & Markets

Aba

–

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aba

–

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Aba

–

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Eating Out

Aba

–

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Aba

–

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Getting Around

Aba

–

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $133 in Aba versus $500 in Cebu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 259% higher in Cebu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Aba

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

01:17 1:17 AM

7 h ahead of Aba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,900

964,169

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,496 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aba Cebu 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Aba
Cebu

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

Aba vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $612 per month in Aba and $1,377 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $408 in Aba and $918 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Aba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.