For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,453 in Biella, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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 Biella and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,453 in Biella versus $918 in Cebu.
Biella $1,453
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in Biella versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Biella $2,249
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,046 in Biella versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Biella $3,046
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Biella is roughly 58% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Biella is 8% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.91€15.04
$3.09₱194
447.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0€59.6
$24.22₱1,525
176.67%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.80€9.61
$3.92₱247
175.51%
Cappuccino
$1.77€1.57
$2.51₱158
-29.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92€2.60
$1.59₱100
83.65%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31€1.16
$0.53₱33.43
147.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.11€4.54
$1.78₱112
187.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48€3.99
$2.17₱137
106.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.24€1.10
$1.92₱121
-35.42%
White Bread(500g)
$2.19€1.94
$1.36₱85.4
61.03%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.90€2.58
$1.01₱63.5
187.13%
Eggs
$3.75€3.34
$2.03₱128
84.73%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.50€12.90
$9.86₱621
47.06%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.11€8.11
$4.39₱277
107.52%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$21.04€18.72
$7.60₱479
176.84%
Apples(1kg)
$3.11€2.77
$3.30₱208
-5.76%
Banana(1kg)
$2.13€1.90
$1.39₱87.8
53.24%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.00€1.78
$2.33₱147
-14.16%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.65€4.14
$1.50₱94.3
210.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.87€1.67
$2.36₱149
-20.76%
Onion(1kg)
$1.77€1.57
$1.90₱119
-6.84%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.53€1.36
$1.19₱74.9
28.57%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.34€0.30
$0.63₱39.71
-46.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.63€5.90
$3.00₱189
121.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.57€5.84
$6.03₱379
8.96%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99€1.77
$1.23₱77.7
61.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65€2.36
$1.75₱110
51.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Biella
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.01€1.79
$0.25₱15.86
704.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$38.10€33.89
$12.64₱796
201.42%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$14.72€13.10
$0.77₱48.62
1811.69%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.70€1.51
$0.23₱14.53
639.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$28.90€25.70
$4.46₱281
547.98%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.05€1.82
$1.31₱82.8
56.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K€31.7K
$21.2K₱1.3M
67.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K€31.2K
$19.1K₱1.2M
82.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$192€171
$120₱7,569
60.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.90€7.03
$14.00₱882
-43.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.83€23.87
$27.54₱1,734
-2.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$66.3€59.0
$32.33₱2,035
105.13%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.49€21.78
$6.65₱419
268.27%
Cinema Ticket
$8.75€7.78
$5.65₱356
54.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$688€612
$275₱17.3K
149.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.2K€9,087
$7,918₱498.5K
29.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.9€77.3
$49.33₱3,106
76.16%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.89€39.93
$25.24₱1,589
77.85%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$85.3€75.9
$77.0₱4,846
10.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111€98.4
$57.2₱3,601
93.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Biella
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$421€375
$500₱31.5K
-15.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$365€325
$309₱19.4K
18.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$687€611
$1,078₱67.9K
-36.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$568€505
$615₱38.7K
-7.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,589€1,414
$2,886₱181.7K
-44.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$871€775
$1,917₱120.7K
-54.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Biella
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,889€1,680
$346₱21.8K
446.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.65
7.2
-49.31%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Biella: October 12, 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
Biella
$365 25.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 15.4%$56
🛒Groceries & Markets
Biella
$320 22%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 35.7%$115
🍽Eating Out
Biella
$240 16.5%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 63.3%$152
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biella
$227 15.6%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 28.8%$65
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Biella
$147 10.2%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 36.3%$54
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Biella
$84 5.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 48%$40
🚌Getting Around
Biella
$69 4.8%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 77.5%$54
🏠Accommodation & Living
Biella
$568 18.7%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 8.3%$47
🛒Groceries & Markets
Biella
$760 25%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 36.5%$277
🍽Eating Out
Biella
$820 26.9%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 64.4%$528
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biella
$235 7.7%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 25.2%$59
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Biella
$328 10.8%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 36.3%$119
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Biella
$192 6.3%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 51.1%$98
🚌Getting Around
Biella
$143 4.7%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 77.8%$111
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $421 in Biella and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Biella pays 446% 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: $67.0 in Biella vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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
Biella vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Biella and in Cebu?
Biella and Cebu differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,453 vs $918 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Biella or Cebu?
Average pay runs 446% higher in Biella, 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 Biella and in Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $421 in Biella versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Biella and Cebu?
Childcare runs $688 in Biella versus $275 in Cebu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Biella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,453 in Biella, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Biella. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Biella 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 Biella or Cebu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Biella 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: Biella or Cebu?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Biella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.