Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batangas and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Batangas: $610 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Batangas
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Batangas Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Batangas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$610

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $610 in Batangas versus $934 in Cebu.

Batangas $610
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $887 in Batangas versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Batangas $887
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,165 in Batangas versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Batangas $1,165
Cebu $1,913

Living in Batangas costs roughly 35% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Batangas 55% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₱137

$3.79 ₱242

-43.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ₱1,214

$23.33 ₱1,491

-18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.63 ₱168

$3.94 ₱252

-33.25%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ₱131

$2.54 ₱163

-18.90%

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

$0.37 ₱23.89

$1.57 ₱100

-76.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.98

$0.47 ₱29.82

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ₱67.0

$1.77 ₱113

-40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₱89.2

$2.22 ₱142

-36.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱109

$1.90 ₱121

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱74.1

$1.36 ₱87.1

-14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₱49.36

$0.94 ₱59.8

-18.09%

Eggs

$1.61 ₱103

$1.99 ₱127

-19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 ₱351

$9.70 ₱620

-43.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 ₱261

$4.32 ₱276

-5.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 ₱446

$7.51 ₱480

-6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱146

$3.31 ₱211

-30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ₱86.1

$1.37 ₱87.5

-1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱154

$2.34 ₱149

2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱74.0

$1.49 ₱95.4

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ₱141

$2.30 ₱147

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 ₱207

$1.87 ₱120

73.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ₱82.1

$1.10 ₱70.3

17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.6

$0.63 ₱40.36

41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱161

$2.86 ₱183

-11.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 ₱482

$6.08 ₱389

24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₱40.07

$0.22 ₱13.99

186.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.61

$0.74 ₱47.53

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.36

$0.22 ₱14.08

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 ₱158

$4.28 ₱273

-42.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$1.31 ₱83.7

-22.90%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.63%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.69%

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

$161 ₱10.3K

$118 ₱7,565

36.37%

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

$14.33 ₱916

$15.76 ₱1,007

-9.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.93 ₱1,529

$28.33 ₱1,810

-15.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.53 ₱1,184

$32.94 ₱2,105

-43.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.48 ₱797

$6.49 ₱415

92.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.63 ₱360

$5.45 ₱348

3.30%

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

$71.9 ₱4,591

$276 ₱17.6K

-73.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,239 ₱79.1K

$7,789 ₱497.7K

-84.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.94 ₱1,018

$48.18 ₱3,078

-66.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.67 ₱1,449

$24.47 ₱1,564

-7.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.8 ₱3,440

$75.3 ₱4,810

-28.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.82 ₱2,544

$58.0 ₱3,707

-31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$71.1 ₱4,544

$322 ₱20.6K

-77.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₱9,995

$963 ₱61.5K

-83.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.3 ₱5,961

$626 ₱40.0K

-85.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,500 ₱159.7K

$4,551 ₱290.8K

-45.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,573 ₱100.5K

$3,028 ₱193.5K

-48.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.8K

$333 ₱21.3K

-44.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-2.78%

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

Last update for Batangas: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batangas

$200 32.8%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 18.6% $37

Groceries & Markets

Batangas

$185 30.3%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 10.2% $19

Accommodation & Living

Batangas

$71 11.7%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 352% $251

Eating Out

Batangas

$60 9.9%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 55.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Batangas

$60 9.8%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 55.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Batangas

$30 4.9%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 47.2% $14

Getting Around

Batangas

$4.3 * 0.7%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 249% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Batangas vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $204 per month, with Batangas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Batangas

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

Same time as Batangas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

329,874

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Batangas Cebu 490 km

From you

Batangas
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

Batangas vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Batangas and Cebu differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($610 vs $934 including rent). Batangas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Batangas. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $610 per month in Batangas versus $934 in Cebu – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Batangas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Batangas 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.

It comes down to priorities – Batangas wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.