Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boroko and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
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Boroko Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $883 per month in Boroko vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

Boroko $883
Cebu $934

A couple spends around $1,279 per month in Boroko vs $1,415 in Cebu, rent included.

Boroko $1,279
Cebu $1,415

A family of three spends $1,676 per month in Boroko vs $1,896 in Cebu, rent included.

Boroko $1,676
Cebu $1,896

Boroko is about 5% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Boroko and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Boroko 34% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 PGK 32.06

$3.03 ₱191

141.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.97 PGK 153

$23.48 ₱1,476

48.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 PGK 24.74

$4.09 ₱257

38.14%

Cappuccino

$2.49 PGK 10.91

$2.52 ₱158

-1.19%

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

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$1.54 ₱97.2

-52.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.99

$0.49 ₱31.06

38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 PGK 11.28

$1.79 ₱113

43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 PGK 15.78

$2.26 ₱142

59.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 PGK 6.60

$1.95 ₱122

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 PGK 5.27

$1.43 ₱89.9

-16.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PGK 5.34

$1.02 ₱64.0

19.61%

Eggs

$3.69 PGK 16.19

$2.06 ₱129

79.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.53

$9.81 ₱617

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 PGK 25.15

$4.61 ₱290

24.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 PGK 28.52

$7.70 ₱484

-15.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 PGK 17.21

$3.31 ₱208

18.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 PGK 13.74

$1.45 ₱91.2

115.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 PGK 11.76

$2.36 ₱148

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 PGK 11.69

$1.54 ₱96.6

73.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 PGK 12.45

$2.36 ₱148

20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 PGK 3.75

$1.99 ₱125

-57.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 PGK 4.94

$1.15 ₱72.3

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PGK 1.87

$0.67 ₱42.26

-35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 PGK 24.16

$3.00 ₱189

83.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 PGK 21.33

$6.35 ₱399

-23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PGK 4.95

$1.31 ₱82.1

-13.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PGK 6.93

$1.73 ₱109

-8.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 PGK 1.88

$0.25 ₱15.82

72.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 PGK 131

$12.65 ₱796

135.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 PGK 19.87

$0.74 ₱46.44

513.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 PGK 5.96

$0.21 ₱13.15

547.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.18 PGK 48.99

$4.33 ₱272

158.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 PGK 3.47

$1.33 ₱83.7

-40.60%

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

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-5.37%

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

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-10.27%

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

$62.5 PGK 274

$121 ₱7,583

-48.18%

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

$22.96 PGK 101

$14.45 ₱909

58.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 PGK 396

$28.29 ₱1,779

219.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 PGK 185

$32.68 ₱2,055

29.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.52 PGK 63.6

$6.39 ₱402

127.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 PGK 28.73

$5.46 ₱343

20.15%

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

$328 PGK 1,438

$273 ₱17.2K

20.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,247 PGK 9,848

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-72.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 PGK 141

$49.57 ₱3,117

-35.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.05 PGK 57.2

$24.87 ₱1,564

-47.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.08 PGK 198

$76.6 ₱4,817

-41.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.83 PGK 118

$59.3 ₱3,727

-54.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

$506 ₱31.8K

554.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 PGK 984

$309 ₱19.5K

-27.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

218.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 PGK 982

$619 ₱38.9K

-63.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$356 PGK 1,561

$341 ₱21.5K

4.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

52.78%

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

Last update for Boroko: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boroko

$225 25.2%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 37.8% $85

Groceries & Markets

Boroko

$211 23.6%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boroko

$176 19.7%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 7.1% $13

Eating Out

Boroko

$131 14.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 32.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Boroko

$55 6.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 21.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Boroko

$53 5.9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 79.5% $42

Getting Around

Boroko

$43 4.8%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 64% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,311 in Boroko versus $506 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 4% higher in Boroko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Boroko versus $23.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $210 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Boroko

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

2 h behind Boroko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Boroko Cebu 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boroko
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

Boroko vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu costs about 6% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,324 per month in Boroko and $1,401 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boroko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $328 per month in Boroko and $273 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Cebu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boroko, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Cebu at $934. In Boroko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cebu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boroko costs $883 versus $934 in Cebu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Boroko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.