For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,578 in Arnhem, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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 Arnhem and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,578 in Arnhem versus $934 in Cebu.
Arnhem $2,578
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,771 in Arnhem versus $1,415 in Cebu.
Arnhem $3,771
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,963 in Arnhem versus $1,896 in Cebu.
Arnhem $4,963
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in Arnhem is roughly 176% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Arnhem is 92% above, Cebu is 30% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.70€20.26
$3.03₱190
649.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.4€78.0
$23.48₱1,473
272.36%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.44€11.99
$4.09₱256
228.61%
Cappuccino
$4.16€3.71
$2.52₱158
65.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29€2.93
$1.54₱96.9
113.64%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85€2.54
$0.49₱30.98
481.63%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.65€5.04
$1.79₱112
215.64%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74€5.12
$2.26₱142
153.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43€1.27
$1.95₱122
-26.67%
White Bread(500g)
$2.07€1.85
$1.43₱89.7
44.76%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.33€2.08
$1.02₱63.8
128.43%
Eggs
$5.39€4.81
$2.06₱129
161.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.96€11.57
$9.81₱615
32.11%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$14.57€13.01
$4.61₱289
216.05%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.70€14.01
$7.70₱483
103.90%
Apples(1kg)
$2.74€2.44
$3.31₱207
-17.22%
Banana(1kg)
$2.51€2.24
$1.45₱90.9
73.10%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.83€1.64
$2.36₱148
-22.46%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.56€4.96
$1.54₱96.4
261.04%
Potato(1kg)
$1.89€1.68
$2.36₱148
-19.92%
Onion(1kg)
$2.36€2.11
$1.99₱125
18.59%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.28€1.14
$1.15₱72.1
11.30%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.64
$0.67₱42.15
7.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.29€12.75
$3.00₱188
376.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.01€6.26
$6.35₱398
10.39%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.45€1.30
$1.31₱81.9
10.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65€2.37
$1.73₱108
53.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.50€4.02
$0.25₱15.78
1700.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$110€98.5
$12.65₱793
772.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.05€3.62
$0.74₱46.32
447.30%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.38€2.12
$0.21₱13.11
1033.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.37€29.78
$4.33₱271
670.67%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.49€2.22
$1.33₱83.5
87.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.7K€36.3K
$21.8K₱1.4M
87.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.8K€34.7K
$19.4K₱1.2M
100.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$283€253
$121₱7,563
134.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.28€20.78
$14.45₱907
61.11%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.42€37.86
$28.29₱1,774
49.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.76€37.27
$32.68₱2,050
27.78%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.05€9.86
$6.39₱401
72.93%
Cinema Ticket
$14.48€12.92
$5.46₱342
165.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,233€1,100
$273₱17.1K
350.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,877€5,245
$8,156₱511.5K
-27.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.6€87.1
$49.57₱3,109
96.81%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.21€26.06
$24.87₱1,560
17.45%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$105€93.7
$76.6₱4,804
37.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154€138
$59.3₱3,717
160.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,431€1,277
$506₱31.7K
183.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,181€1,054
$309₱19.4K
281.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,217€1,979
$1,052₱66.0K
110.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,793€1,600
$619₱38.8K
189.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,196€4,637
$2,915₱182.9K
78.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,230€3,775
$1,867₱117.1K
126.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arnhem
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,648€3,255
$341₱21.4K
969.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.95
7.2
-45.14%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Arnhem: October 3, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 5, 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
Arnhem
$1.2K 45.5%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 73.8%$871
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arnhem
$349 13.5%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 53.2%$186
🛒Groceries & Markets
Arnhem
$339 13.1%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↓ 38%$129
🍽Eating Out
Arnhem
$336 13%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 73.7%$248
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Arnhem
$174 6.7%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 45.5%$79
🚌Getting Around
Arnhem
$144 5.6%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 89.3%$129
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Arnhem
$71 2.7%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 38.4%$27
🏠Accommodation & Living
Arnhem
$1.8K 36.4%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↓ 65.5%$1.2K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arnhem
$372 7.6%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 52.2%$194
🛒Groceries & Markets
Arnhem
$809 16.4%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↓ 39.1%$316
🍽Eating Out
Arnhem
$1.1K 22.7%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 74.2%$829
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Arnhem
$386 7.8%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 45.5%$176
🚌Getting Around
Arnhem
$298 6%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 89.5%$266
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Arnhem
$153 3.1%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 38.6%$59
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,431 in Arnhem and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Arnhem pays 969% 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: $87.0 in Arnhem vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $210 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
Arnhem vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Arnhem and in Cebu?
Arnhem and Cebu differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($2,578 vs $934 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Arnhem or Cebu?
Average pay runs 969% higher in Arnhem, 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 Arnhem and in Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,431 in Arnhem versus $506 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 61% higher in Arnhem. 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 $23.00 versus $87.0 in Arnhem. 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 $934 in Cebu versus $2,578 in Arnhem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Arnhem 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 Arnhem or Cebu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Arnhem 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: Arnhem or Cebu?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.