Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bekasi and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bekasi: $665 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bekasi
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$665
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $665 in Bekasi versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Bekasi $665
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,073 in Bekasi versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Bekasi $1,073
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Bekasi versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Bekasi $1,480
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Bekasi costs roughly 28% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bekasi 51% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.72 Rp 48.9K
$3.09 ₱194
-11.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.10 Rp 253.9K
$24.22 ₱1,525
-41.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.41 Rp 61.4K
$3.92 ₱247
-13.01%
Cappuccino
$1.47 Rp 26.4K
$2.51 ₱158
-41.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,309
$1.59 ₱100
-71.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,940
$0.53 ₱33.43
-58.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 Rp 43.9K
$1.78 ₱112
37.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 Rp 68.7K
$2.17 ₱137
76.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 Rp 19.9K
$1.92 ₱121
-42.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 Rp 20.2K
$1.36 ₱85.4
-17.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.01 ₱63.5
-15.84%
Eggs
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
$2.03 ₱128
-19.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.52 Rp 171.4K
$9.86 ₱621
-3.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.94 Rp 53.0K
$4.39 ₱277
-33.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.02 Rp 144.4K
$7.60 ₱479
5.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 Rp 49.3K
$3.30 ₱208
-16.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
$1.39 ₱87.8
-1.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 Rp 45.0K
$2.33 ₱147
7.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.32 Rp 23.8K
$1.50 ₱94.3
-12.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.1K
$2.36 ₱149
-43.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 Rp 37.9K
$1.90 ₱119
11.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
$1.19 ₱74.9
-21.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,281
$0.63 ₱39.71
-36.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74 Rp 49.2K
$3.00 ₱189
-8.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 400.3K
$6.03 ₱379
268.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
$1.23 ₱77.7
65.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 Rp 56.2K
$1.75 ₱110
78.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 Rp 6,217
$0.25 ₱15.86
40.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.05 Rp 199.0K
$12.64 ₱796
-12.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.77 ₱48.62
7.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 Rp 7,889
$0.23 ₱14.53
91.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
$4.46 ₱281
-49.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
$1.31 ₱82.8
-34.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K Rp 375.2M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
-1.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K Rp 578.4M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
67.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.4 Rp 1.1M
$120 ₱7,569
-47.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.94 Rp 106.9K
$14.00 ₱882
-57.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.24 Rp 346.3K
$27.54 ₱1,734
-30.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.55 Rp 280.0K
$32.33 ₱2,035
-51.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.20 Rp 111.5K
$6.65 ₱419
-6.77%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 60.6K
$5.65 ₱356
-40.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 Rp 2.3M
$275 ₱17.3K
-53.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,333 Rp 150.0M
$7,918 ₱498.5K
5.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.3 Rp 1.0M
$49.33 ₱3,106
18.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.38 Rp 582.8K
$25.24 ₱1,589
28.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 Rp 1.4M
$77.0 ₱4,846
-0.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.1 Rp 1.7M
$57.2 ₱3,601
64.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$206 Rp 3.7M
$500 ₱31.5K
-58.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 Rp 2.4M
$309 ₱19.4K
-57.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$457 Rp 8.2M
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-57.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$358 Rp 6.4M
$615 ₱38.7K
-41.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$585 Rp 10.5M
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-79.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$902 Rp 16.2M
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-52.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bekasi
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$366 Rp 6.6M
$346 ₱21.8K
5.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
7.2
31.39%

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

Last update for Bekasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bekasi
$216
Cebu
$206 4.6% $10
Accommodation & Living
Bekasi
$133
Cebu
$309 133% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Bekasi
$118
Cebu
$94 20.2% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bekasi
$89
Cebu
$162 82.7% $73
Eating Out
Bekasi
$72
Cebu
$88 22.4% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Bekasi
$22
Cebu
$44 95.8% $21
Getting Around
Bekasi
$15
Cebu
$16 0.7% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $206 in Bekasi and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bekasi pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $14.00 in Bekasi vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bekasi
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
18:48 6:48 PM
19:48 7:48 PM
1 h ahead of Bekasi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,334,871
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Bekasi Cebu 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bekasi
  • 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
Bekasi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bekasi and in Cebu?
Bekasi and Cebu differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($665 vs $918 including rent). Bekasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bekasi or Cebu?
Average pay runs 6% higher in Bekasi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bekasi and in Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $206 in Bekasi versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Bekasi – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bekasi or Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $665 per month in Bekasi versus $918 in Cebu – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $1,200 go in Bekasi compared to Cebu?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bekasi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Bekasi and Cebu?
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.
Is Bekasi or Cebu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bekasi 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.
Where should expats move: Bekasi or Cebu?
Expats usually find Bekasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bekasi vs other spots: cost of living compared

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