Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacolod and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bacolod
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Bacolod Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Bacolod vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Bacolod $607
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $885 per month in Bacolod vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Bacolod $885
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Bacolod vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Bacolod $1,162
Cebu $1,900

Bacolod is about 34% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bacolod and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Bacolod 55% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 ₱147

$3.09 ₱194

-24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 ₱810

$24.22 ₱1,525

-46.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 ₱254

$3.92 ₱247

2.81%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$2.51 ₱158

-1.99%

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

$0.70 ₱43.96

$1.59 ₱100

-55.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.61

$0.53 ₱33.43

-28.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$1.78 ₱112

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.17 ₱137

-17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.92 ₱121

-16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$1.36 ₱85.4

-14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.01 ₱63.5

-5.94%

Eggs

$1.66 ₱105

$2.03 ₱128

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₱561

$9.86 ₱621

-9.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 ₱437

$4.39 ₱277

58.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$3.30 ₱208

2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.39 ₱87.8

74.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₱33.60

$1.50 ₱94.3

-64.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.90 ₱119

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$0.63 ₱39.71

63.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ₱175

$3.00 ₱189

-7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.4

$1.23 ₱77.7

-26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₱11.18

$0.25 ₱15.86

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₱38.66

$0.77 ₱48.62

-20.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.5

$1.31 ₱82.8

-2.29%

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

$22.1K ₱1.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

3.84%

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

$24.0K ₱1.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

25.34%

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

$137 ₱8,646

$120 ₱7,569

14.22%

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

$7.99 ₱503

$14.00 ₱882

-42.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 ₱1,776

$27.54 ₱1,734

2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.87 ₱999

$32.33 ₱2,035

-50.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 ₱153

$6.65 ₱419

-63.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$5.65 ₱356

-22.65%

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

$31.23 ₱1,966

$275 ₱17.3K

-88.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₱16.8K

$500 ₱31.5K

-46.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₱11.2K

$309 ₱19.4K

-42.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₱29.9K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-55.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.8K

$615 ₱38.7K

-43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ₱13.0K

$346 ₱21.8K

-40.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacolod

$178 29.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 73.2% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacolod

$174 28.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 6.8% $12

Groceries & Markets

Bacolod

$155 * 25.5%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 33.2% $51

Eating Out

Bacolod

$75 12.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 17.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bacolod

$25 4.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 77.2% $19

Getting Around

Bacolod

$1.3 * 0.2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 1080% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Bacolod

- * 0%

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Bacolod 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 68% higher in Cebu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $206 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

Same time as Bacolod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

561,875

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Bacolod Cebu 110 km

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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

Bacolod vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $607 in Bacolod, $918 in Cebu – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Bacolod 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 Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod and $24.00 in Cebu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $607 in Bacolod and $918 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $918 in Cebu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bacolod. 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.