For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,723 in Afula, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Afula and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,723 in Afula versus $918 in Cebu.
Afula $2,723
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,065 in Afula versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Afula $4,065
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,408 in Afula versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Afula $5,408
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Afula is roughly 197% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Afula is 102% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.68₪79.9
$3.09₱195
731.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.5₪281
$24.22₱1,525
273.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$17.12₪53.3
$3.92₱247
336.73%
Cappuccino
$4.56₪14.19
$2.51₱158
81.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99₪12.40
$1.59₱100
150.94%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77₪8.62
$0.53₱33.45
422.64%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$9.15₪28.46
$1.78₱112
414.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.11₪19.00
$2.17₱137
181.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.67₪8.32
$1.92₱121
39.06%
White Bread(500g)
$3.27₪10.17
$1.36₱85.5
140.44%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.32₪10.33
$1.01₱63.6
228.71%
Eggs
$4.51₪14.02
$2.03₱128
122.17%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.23₪41.17
$9.86₱621
34.18%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$19.19₪59.7
$4.39₱277
337.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$26.34₪81.9
$7.60₱479
246.58%
Apples(1kg)
$3.32₪10.34
$3.30₱208
0.61%
Banana(1kg)
$2.95₪9.17
$1.39₱87.8
112.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.23₪6.93
$2.33₱147
-4.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.63₪5.08
$1.50₱94.3
8.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.61₪5.00
$2.36₱149
-31.78%
Onion(1kg)
$1.56₪4.86
$1.90₱119
-17.89%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.95₪6.06
$1.19₱74.9
63.87%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47₪7.67
$0.63₱39.73
292.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$15.47₪48.12
$3.00₱189
415.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$12.64₪39.33
$6.03₱380
109.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.79₪14.91
$1.23₱77.7
289.43%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08₪12.70
$1.75₱110
133.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Afula
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.59₪8.06
$0.25₱15.87
936.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$99.9₪311
$12.64₱796
690.35%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.96₪12.33
$0.77₱48.64
414.29%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.18₪3.68
$0.23₱14.54
413.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.30₪60.0
$4.46₱281
332.74%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.47₪7.69
$1.31₱82.8
88.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$57.0K₪177.3K
$21.2K₱1.3M
168.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$59.7K₪185.8K
$19.1K₱1.2M
211.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$277₪862
$120₱7,573
130.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.96₪37.22
$14.00₱882
-14.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.17₪81.4
$27.54₱1,735
-4.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$78.4₪244
$32.33₱2,036
142.56%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.19₪72.1
$6.65₱419
248.72%
Cinema Ticket
$12.29₪38.23
$5.65₱356
117.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,143₪3,555
$275₱17.3K
315.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$28.3K₪88.1K
$7,918₱498.8K
257.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5₪163
$49.33₱3,107
6.32%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$64.0₪199
$25.24₱1,590
153.57%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$124₪386
$77.0₱4,848
61.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149₪465
$57.2₱3,603
161.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Afula
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,470₪4,574
$500₱31.5K
194.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,153₪3,588
$309₱19.5K
273.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,340₪7,281
$1,078₱67.9K
117.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,913₪5,953
$615₱38.8K
211.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$9,416₪29.3K
$2,886₱181.8K
226.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$8,080₪25.1K
$1,917₱120.7K
321.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Afula
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,283₪10.2K
$346₱21.8K
849.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.05
7.2
-43.75%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Afula: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Afula
$1.2K 42.4%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 73.2%$844
🛒Groceries & Markets
Afula
$460 16.9%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 55.2%$254
🍽Eating Out
Afula
$396 14.6%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 77.7%$308
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Afula
$315 11.6%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 48.7%$153
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Afula
$175 6.4%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 46.5%$82
🚌Getting Around
Afula
$120 4.4%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 87%$105
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Afula
$103 3.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 57.6%$59
🏠Accommodation & Living
Afula
$1.9K 35.4%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 67.8%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Afula
$1.1K 19.5%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 54.2%$572
🍽Eating Out
Afula
$1.2K 23.1%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 76.6%$956
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Afula
$327 6.1%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 46.3%$151
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Afula
$390 7.2%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 46.5%$181
🚌Getting Around
Afula
$245 4.5%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 87.1%$214
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Afula
$229 4.2%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 59%$135
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Afula and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Afula pays 849% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $90.0 in Afula vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Afula vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Afula and in Cebu?
Afula and Cebu differ by about 197% in total monthly costs ($2,723 vs $918 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Afula or Cebu?
Average pay runs 849% higher in Afula, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Afula and in Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,470 in Afula versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Afula. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $90.0 in Afula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,723 in Afula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Afula. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Afula and Cebu?
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.
Is Afula or Cebu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Afula and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Afula or Cebu?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Afula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.