Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Athlone and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,542 in Athlone, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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 Athlone and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,542 in Athlone versus $918 in Cebu.
Athlone $2,542
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,749 in Athlone versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Athlone $3,749
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,956 in Athlone versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Athlone $4,956
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Athlone is roughly 177% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Athlone is 88% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.37€19.90
$3.09₱194
623.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.0€81.0
$24.22₱1,525
275.76%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.63€11.23
$3.92₱247
222.19%
Cappuccino
$4.32€3.85
$2.51₱158
72.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92€2.60
$1.59₱100
83.65%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84€1.64
$0.53₱33.43
247.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.41€6.59
$1.78₱112
316.29%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.55€5.82
$2.17₱137
201.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.46€1.30
$1.92₱121
-23.96%
White Bread(500g)
$1.26€1.12
$1.36₱85.4
-7.35%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.66€1.48
$1.01₱63.5
64.36%
Eggs
$3.91€3.48
$2.03₱128
92.61%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.73€9.55
$9.86₱621
8.82%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.27€10.02
$4.39₱277
156.72%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.85€10.54
$7.60₱479
55.92%
Apples(1kg)
$2.55€2.27
$3.30₱208
-22.73%
Banana(1kg)
$1.56€1.39
$1.39₱87.8
12.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41€2.14
$2.33₱147
3.43%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.85€2.53
$1.50₱94.3
90.00%
Potato(1kg)
$2.29€2.03
$2.36₱149
-2.97%
Onion(1kg)
$1.81€1.61
$1.90₱119
-4.74%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.44€1.28
$1.19₱74.9
21.01%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90€1.69
$0.63₱39.71
201.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$17.88€15.90
$3.00₱189
496.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.10€9.88
$6.03₱379
84.08%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.44€3.06
$1.23₱77.7
179.67%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58€3.18
$1.75₱110
104.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.06€1.83
$0.25₱15.86
724.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$12.64₱796
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.08€4.52
$0.77₱48.62
559.74%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.49€1.32
$0.23₱14.53
547.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$27.77€24.70
$4.46₱281
522.65%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.80
$1.31₱82.8
54.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.6K€35.2K
$21.2K₱1.3M
86.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K€32.7K
$19.1K₱1.2M
92.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$241€214
$120₱7,569
100.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.86€19.45
$14.00₱882
56.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.22€43.78
$27.54₱1,734
78.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$58.5€52.1
$32.33₱2,035
81.04%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.69€30.85
$6.65₱419
421.65%
Cinema Ticket
$10.95€9.74
$5.65₱356
93.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,001€891
$275₱17.3K
263.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,365€4,772
$7,918₱498.5K
-32.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9€82.6
$49.33₱3,106
88.22%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88€36.36
$25.24₱1,589
61.97%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$83.6€74.4
$77.0₱4,846
8.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.7€69.1
$57.2₱3,601
35.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,468€1,306
$500₱31.5K
193.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,353€1,203
$309₱19.4K
338.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,529€2,249
$1,078₱67.9K
134.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,254€2,005
$615₱38.7K
266.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,294€2,930
$2,886₱181.7K
14.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,340€2,971
$1,917₱120.7K
74.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athlone
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,153€2,805
$346₱21.8K
811.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.73
7.2
-48.19%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Athlone: October 11, 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
Athlone
$1.4K 53.2%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 77.2%$1K
🍽Eating Out
Athlone
$338 13.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 73.9%$250
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athlone
$312 12.3%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 48.1%$150
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athlone
$305 12%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 32.5%$99
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athlone
$133 5.2%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 29.3%$39
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athlone
$80 3.2%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 45.8%$37
🚌Getting Around
Athlone
$21 * 0.8%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 25%$5.2
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Athlone
$2.3K 45.5%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 72.7%$1.6K
🍽Eating Out
Athlone
$1.1K 23%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 74.4%$847
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athlone
$334 6.7%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 47.3%$158
🛒Groceries & Markets
Athlone
$693 14%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 30.3%$210
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Athlone
$295 6%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 29.3%$86
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Athlone
$196 4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 52%$102
🚌Getting Around
Athlone
$46 * 0.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 30.6%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,468 in Athlone and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Athlone pays 811% 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: $91.0 in Athlone vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 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
Athlone vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athlone or Cebu?
Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cebu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athlone or in Cebu?
Average pay runs 811% higher in Athlone, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athlone compared to Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,468 in Athlone versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Athlone or in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Athlone. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Athlone compared to Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,542 per month in Athlone versus $918 in Cebu – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Athlone or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,542 in Athlone, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Athlone. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athlone or Cebu?
Both work as nomad bases, but Cebu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cebu hard to pass up.
How safe is Athlone compared to Cebu?
Safety-wise, Athlone 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.