Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arun and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,629 in Arun, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Arun
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,629
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,629 per month in Arun vs $915 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Arun $2,629
  • Cebu $915

A couple spends around $3,863 per month in Arun vs $1,418 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Arun $3,863
  • Cebu $1,418

A family of three spends $5,097 per month in Arun vs $1,921 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Arun $5,097
  • Cebu $1,921

Arun costs about 187% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Arun sits 94% above the global median, while Cebu is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.34 £19.76
$3.05 ₱192
763.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 £81.3
$24.00 ₱1,511
351.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.69 £8.02
$3.99 ₱251
167.92%
Cappuccino
$5.82 £4.37
$2.50 ₱157
132.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 £2.26
$1.54 ₱97.1
96.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 £1.65
$0.50 ₱31.37
342.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.08 £6.81
$1.78 ₱112
410.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.31 £6.24
$2.17 ₱136
282.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.89 £1.42
$2.00 ₱126
-5.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.37 ₱86.2
47.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 £1.84
$1.03 ₱64.9
137.86%
Eggs
$5.09 £3.82
$2.03 ₱128
150.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.70 £3.52
$10.20 ₱642
-53.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.72 £8.04
$4.45 ₱280
140.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.19 £12.90
$7.67 ₱483
124.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$3.31 ₱208
-6.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 £0.83
$1.46 ₱91.8
-23.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.00 £2.25
$2.32 ₱146
29.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.55
$1.49 ₱94.0
127.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 £1.21
$2.34 ₱147
-31.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.94 ₱122
-7.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 £1.09
$1.16 ₱73.0
25.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 £1.41
$0.68 ₱42.89
176.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.67 £17.76
$2.99 ₱188
691.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 £9.84
$6.24 ₱393
110.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.23 £2.42
$1.23 ₱77.3
162.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.37
$1.73 ₱109
159.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Arun
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.63 £2.72
$0.23 ₱14.36
1478.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.1 £74.3
$12.34 ₱777
703.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.72 £4.29
$0.79 ₱49.96
624.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.23 £2.42
$0.22 ₱13.86
1368.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.16 £19.62
$4.54 ₱286
476.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.92 £1.44
$1.32 ₱82.9
45.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$21.0K ₱1.3M
84.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.8K
$19.4K ₱1.2M
111.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$370 £277
$119 ₱7,464
211.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.94 £13.46
$14.22 ₱896
26.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.96 £29.98
$27.47 ₱1,730
45.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.1 £39.87
$32.31 ₱2,034
64.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.50 ₱409
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.15 £4.61
$5.40 ₱340
13.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,919 £2,190
$276 ₱17.4K
957.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.4K £27.3K
$7,866 ₱495.3K
362.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117 £87.8
$49.37 ₱3,108
136.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.30 £29.48
$24.58 ₱1,548
59.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £96.2
$76.6 ₱4,825
67.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.6 £49.94
$58.9 ₱3,706
13.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arun
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,164 £874
$503 ₱31.7K
131.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,119 £840
$305 ₱19.2K
267.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,254 £1,691
$1,075 ₱67.7K
109.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,796 £1,347
$632 ₱39.8K
184.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,762 £3,572
$2,870 ₱180.7K
65.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,150 £3,113
$1,877 ₱118.2K
121.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arun
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$336 ₱21.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.74
7.2
-34.17%

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

Last update for Arun: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Arun
$1.1K
Cebu
$305 72.8% $815
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arun
$428
Cebu
$160 62.5% $267
Eating Out
Arun
$396
Cebu
$88 77.8% $308
Groceries & Markets
Arun
$328
Cebu
$210 36% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Arun
$158
Cebu
$94 40.3% $64
Getting Around
Arun
$135
Cebu
$15 88.8% $120
Sport & Entertainment
Arun
$65
Cebu
$43 34.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in Arun versus $503 in Cebu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Arun versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $210 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Arun
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
00:06 12:06 AM
07:06 7:06 AM
7 h ahead of Arun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,285
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Arun Cebu 11,380 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Arun
  • 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
Arun vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Arun or Cebu?
Arun costs about 187% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Arun and in Cebu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,943 per month in Arun and $1,372 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Arun or Cebu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Arun and in Cebu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Arun and $24.00 in Cebu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Arun compared to Cebu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,629 in Arun and $915 in Cebu. That's a gap of about 187%.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Arun or in Cebu?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Arun at $2,629. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Arun or Cebu?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $915 versus $2,629 in Arun. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Arun compared to Cebu?
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.
Should I move to Arun or to Cebu?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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