Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballina and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,192 in Ballina, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,192

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,192 per month in Ballina vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Ballina $2,192
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $3,211 per month in Ballina vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Ballina $3,211
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $4,229 per month in Ballina vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Ballina $4,229
Cebu $1,900

Ballina costs about 139% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ballina sits 62% above the global median, while Cebu is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 €14.90

$3.09 ₱194

442.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 €59.1

$24.22 ₱1,525

174.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.77

$3.92 ₱247

208.67%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.38

$2.51 ₱158

51.39%

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

$1.55 €1.38

$1.59 ₱100

-2.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.17

$0.53 ₱33.43

149.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 €4.90

$1.78 ₱112

209.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 €6.59

$2.17 ₱137

241.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.92 ₱121

-13.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.36 ₱85.4

61.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.01 ₱63.5

85.15%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.77

$2.03 ₱128

53.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 €12.23

$9.86 ₱621

39.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.66

$4.39 ₱277

198.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 €14.92

$7.60 ₱479

120.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.96

$3.30 ₱208

0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.39 ₱87.8

15.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.90

$2.33 ₱147

40.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 €4.12

$1.50 ₱94.3

208.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.36 ₱149

-5.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.90 ₱119

-4.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.19 ₱74.9

22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.94

$0.63 ₱39.71

247.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.86 €17.67

$3.00 ₱189

562.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 €9.08

$6.03 ₱379

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.61

$1.23 ₱77.7

230.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.11

$1.75 ₱110

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.44 €4.84

$0.25 ₱15.86

2076.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €121

$12.64 ₱796

978.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 €4.61

$0.77 ₱48.62

572.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.23 ₱14.53

569.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.56

$4.46 ₱281

645.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.31 ₱82.8

54.96%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

64.05%

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

$37.6K €33.4K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

96.14%

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

$236 €210

$120 ₱7,569

96.02%

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

$21.77 €19.36

$14.00 ₱882

55.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.50 €35.14

$27.54 ₱1,734

43.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.66

$32.33 ₱2,035

58.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.25 €10.01

$6.65 ₱419

69.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 €11.00

$5.65 ₱356

118.94%

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

$1,092 €972

$275 ₱17.3K

296.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,251 €4,671

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-33.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €84.7

$49.33 ₱3,106

92.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 €37.39

$25.24 ₱1,589

66.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.4

$77.0 ₱4,846

40.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €98.9

$57.2 ₱3,601

94.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 €779

$500 ₱31.5K

75.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 €755

$309 ₱19.4K

174.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$1,078 ₱67.9K

22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,175

$615 ₱38.7K

114.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,411 €3,034

$2,886 ₱181.7K

18.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,758 €2,454

$1,917 ₱120.7K

43.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,216 €2,861

$346 ₱21.8K

829.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

7.2

-42.50%

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

Last update for Ballina: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballina

$849 38.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 63.6% $540

Groceries & Markets

Ballina

$368 16.8%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 44.1% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballina

$297 13.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 45.5% $135

Eating Out

Ballina

$270 12.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 67.3% $181

Getting Around

Ballina

$171 7.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 90.9% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Ballina

$161 7.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 41.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Ballina

$76 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 42.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $875 in Ballina 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 830% higher in Ballina, 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 $66.0 in Ballina versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $206 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Ballina

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

7 h ahead of Ballina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,556

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ballina Cebu 11,610 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Ballina
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

Ballina vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballina costs about 139% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,288 per month in Ballina 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 Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 979% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,092 per month in Ballina and $275 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Ballina at $2,192. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $918 versus $2,192 in Ballina. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ballina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.