For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,418 in Bissen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. The total is higher in Bissen despite lower rent and utilities.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bissen and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,418 per month in Bissen vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.
Bissen $1,418
Cebu $918
A couple spends around $2,307 per month in Bissen vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.
Bissen $2,307
Cebu $1,409
A family of three spends $3,196 per month in Bissen vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.
Bissen $3,196
Cebu $1,900
😐
Bissen costs about 55% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Bissen sits 5% above the global median, while Cebu is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.11€24.12
$3.09₱194
777.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102€90.3
$24.22₱1,525
319.16%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$14.60€12.99
$3.92₱247
272.45%
Cappuccino
$4.58€4.08
$2.51₱158
82.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22€1.97
$1.59₱100
39.62%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18€1.94
$0.53₱33.43
311.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.71€6.85
$1.78₱112
333.15%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.62€5.89
$2.17₱137
205.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.65€1.46
$1.92₱121
-14.06%
White Bread(500g)
$2.75€2.45
$1.36₱85.4
102.21%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.97€2.64
$1.01₱63.5
194.06%
Eggs
$4.62€4.11
$2.03₱128
127.59%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$18.60€16.55
$9.86₱621
88.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$14.36€12.78
$4.39₱277
227.11%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$25.82€22.97
$7.60₱479
239.74%
Apples(1kg)
$3.26€2.90
$3.30₱208
-1.21%
Banana(1kg)
$2.31€2.05
$1.39₱87.8
66.19%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.20€2.85
$2.33₱147
37.34%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.34€3.86
$1.50₱94.3
189.33%
Potato(1kg)
$2.45€2.18
$2.36₱149
3.81%
Onion(1kg)
$2.27€2.02
$1.90₱119
19.47%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.90€1.69
$1.19₱74.9
59.66%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.03€0.92
$0.63₱39.71
63.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.58€6.74
$3.00₱189
152.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.02€9.80
$6.03₱379
82.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03€1.80
$1.23₱77.7
65.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55€2.27
$1.75₱110
45.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$0.25₱15.86
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$12.64₱796
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.05€4.50
$0.77₱48.62
555.84%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.93€3.49
$0.23₱14.53
1608.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$55.2€49.10
$4.46₱281
1137.67%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.83€1.63
$1.31₱82.8
39.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K€27.1K
$21.2K₱1.3M
43.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K€29.9K
$19.1K₱1.2M
75.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$295€262
$120₱7,569
145.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.27€24.26
$14.00₱882
94.79%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.3€50.9
$27.54₱1,734
107.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$32.33₱2,035
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.64€15.69
$5.65₱356
212.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,386€1,233
$275₱17.3K
403.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.5K€16.5K
$7,918₱498.5K
134.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109€97.0
$49.33₱3,106
121.04%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5€45.81
$25.24₱1,589
104.04%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$109€97.1
$77.0₱4,846
41.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132€118
$57.2₱3,601
131.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,297€2,932
$500₱31.5K
559.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$309₱19.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,078₱67.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$615₱38.7K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,886₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,917₱120.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bissen
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,487€2,212
$346₱21.8K
618.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.54
7.2
-50.83%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Bissen: 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bissen
$413 29.1%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 50.2%$207
🍽Eating Out
Bissen
$385 27.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 77.1%$297
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bissen
$379 26.7%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 57.4%$218
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bissen
$181 12.8%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 48.1%$87
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bissen
$35 * 2.5%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 23.7%$8.3
🚌Getting Around
Bissen
$25 * 1.7%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 37%$9.1
🏠Accommodation & Living
Bissen
- * 0%
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bissen
$975 30.5%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 50.5%$492
🍽Eating Out
Bissen
$1.3K 40.4%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 77.4%$1K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bissen
$407 12.7%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 56.8%$231
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bissen
$402 12.6%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 48.1%$193
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bissen
$71 * 2.2%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 33.1%$23
🚌Getting Around
Bissen
$49 * 1.6%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 35.9%$18
🏠Accommodation & Living
Bissen
- * 0%
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $3,297 in Bissen 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 619% higher in Bissen, 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 $102 in Bissen versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $206 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Bissen vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bissen and in Cebu compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,418 in Bissen, $918 in Cebu – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Bissen compared to Cebu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,128 per month in Bissen and $1,377 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bissen and Cebu?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bissen or Cebu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,418 in Bissen and $918 in Cebu. That's a gap of about 55%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bissen and Cebu?
Kindergarten costs $1,386 per month in Bissen and $275 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Bissen at $1,418. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bissen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bissen and Cebu?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in Cebu to $1,418 in Bissen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bissen or Cebu safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Bissen and Cebu?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bissen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.