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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethune and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,725 in Bethune, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Bethune and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,725 in Bethune versus $918 in Cebu.
Bethune $1,725
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Bethune versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Bethune $2,711
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Bethune versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Bethune $3,698
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Bethune is roughly 88% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Bethune is 28% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.77€15.81
$3.09₱195
475.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.5€65.3
$24.22₱1,525
203.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.27€11.80
$3.92₱247
238.52%
Cappuccino
$3.16€2.81
$2.51₱158
25.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73€2.43
$1.59₱100
71.70%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67€1.49
$0.53₱33.45
215.09%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.72€5.98
$1.78₱112
277.53%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70€5.07
$2.17₱137
162.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.30€1.15
$1.92₱121
-32.29%
White Bread(500g)
$1.86€1.66
$1.36₱85.5
36.76%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.95€2.62
$1.01₱63.6
192.08%
Eggs
$4.03€3.59
$2.03₱128
98.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$21.13€18.79
$9.86₱621
114.30%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.74€11.33
$4.39₱277
190.21%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$23.00€20.45
$7.60₱479
202.63%
Apples(1kg)
$3.05€2.71
$3.30₱208
-7.58%
Banana(1kg)
$2.13€1.90
$1.39₱87.8
53.24%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39€2.13
$2.33₱147
2.58%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.12€2.78
$1.50₱94.3
108.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.62
$2.36₱149
-22.88%
Onion(1kg)
$1.96€1.74
$1.90₱119
3.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.42€1.26
$1.19₱74.9
19.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53€0.47
$0.63₱39.73
-15.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.20€12.63
$3.00₱189
373.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.85€6.98
$6.03₱380
30.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84€1.63
$1.23₱77.7
49.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54€2.26
$1.75₱110
45.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.77€1.57
$0.25₱15.87
608.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$50.6€44.98
$12.64₱796
300.08%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.24€1.99
$0.77₱48.64
190.91%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.16€1.92
$0.23₱14.54
839.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$23.70€21.07
$4.46₱281
431.39%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.04€1.82
$1.31₱82.8
55.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K€30.1K
$21.2K₱1.3M
59.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.1K€31.3K
$19.1K₱1.2M
83.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$176€156
$120₱7,573
46.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.09€13.42
$14.00₱882
7.79%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.91€27.49
$27.54₱1,735
12.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$34.87€31.01
$32.33₱2,036
7.86%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.76€14.90
$6.65₱419
152.03%
Cinema Ticket
$10.15€9.03
$5.65₱356
79.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$619€550
$275₱17.3K
124.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,158€7,256
$7,918₱498.8K
3.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.3€77.7
$49.33₱3,107
77.01%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.69€34.41
$25.24₱1,590
53.29%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.7€69.1
$77.0₱4,848
0.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.4€86.7
$57.2₱3,603
70.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$740€658
$500₱31.5K
48.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$599€533
$309₱19.5K
94.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,354€1,204
$1,078₱67.9K
25.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,101€979
$615₱38.8K
78.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,857€3,431
$2,886₱181.8K
33.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,266€2,905
$1,917₱120.7K
70.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bethune
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,663€3,258
$346₱21.8K
958.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.92
7.2
-45.56%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Bethune: October 10, 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
Bethune
$599 34.7%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 48.5%$290
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bethune
$360 20.9%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 42.8%$154
🍽Eating Out
Bethune
$282 16.4%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 68.8%$194
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bethune
$222 12.9%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 27%$60
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bethune
$135 7.9%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 30.7%$42
🚌Getting Around
Bethune
$71 4.1%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 78%$55
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bethune
$55 3.2%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 20.9%$12
🏠Accommodation & Living
Bethune
$1.1K 29.8%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 44.1%$485
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bethune
$855 23.1%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 43.5%$372
🍽Eating Out
Bethune
$932 25.2%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 68.7%$640
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bethune
$237 6.4%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 25.7%$61
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bethune
$301 8.1%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 30.7%$92
🚌Getting Around
Bethune
$145 3.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 78.2%$113
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bethune
$127 3.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 26.1%$33
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Bethune and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Bethune pays 959% 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: $73.0 in Bethune vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 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
Bethune vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bethune or Cebu?
Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Bethune. 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 Bethune or in Cebu?
Average pay runs 959% higher in Bethune, 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 Bethune compared to Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Bethune versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Bethune and in Cebu?
Childcare runs $619 in Bethune versus $275 in Cebu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Bethune or in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Bethune. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Bethune or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,725 in Bethune, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Bethune. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bethune 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 Bethune compared to Cebu?
Safety-wise, Bethune 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 88% less than in Bethune. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.