For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,072 in Bursa, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Bursa 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 Bursa and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Bursa versus $918 in Cebu.
Bursa $1,072
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,689 in Bursa versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Bursa $1,689
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,305 in Bursa versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Bursa $2,305
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Bursa is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Bursa21% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.88₺489
$3.09₱194
219.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.06₺1,488
$24.22₱1,525
24.11%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.76₺384
$3.92₱247
97.96%
Cappuccino
$3.76₺186
$2.51₱158
49.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09₺54.1
$1.59₱100
-31.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39₺19.24
$0.53₱33.43
-26.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.39₺118
$1.78₱112
34.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05₺151
$2.17₱137
40.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.03₺51.2
$1.92₱121
-46.35%
White Bread(500g)
$0.82₺40.38
$1.36₱85.4
-39.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.22₺110
$1.01₱63.5
119.80%
Eggs
$2.42₺120
$2.03₱128
19.21%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.51₺521
$9.86₱621
6.59%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.03₺249
$4.39₱277
14.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$19.75₺978
$7.60₱479
159.87%
Apples(1kg)
$1.71₺84.9
$3.30₱208
-48.18%
Banana(1kg)
$1.99₺98.4
$1.39₱87.8
43.17%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.11₺55.0
$2.33₱147
-52.36%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.27₺62.7
$1.50₱94.3
-15.33%
Potato(1kg)
$0.57₺28.17
$2.36₱149
-75.85%
Onion(1kg)
$0.40₺19.75
$1.90₱119
-78.95%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.77₺38.02
$1.19₱74.9
-35.29%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68₺33.65
$0.63₱39.71
7.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.12₺105
$3.00₱189
-29.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$14.38₺712
$6.03₱379
138.47%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09₺103
$1.23₱77.7
69.92%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19₺108
$1.75₱110
25.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.08₺53.6
$0.25₱15.86
332.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$34.85₺1,726
$12.64₱796
175.71%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.03₺50.8
$0.77₱48.62
33.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.89₺44.08
$0.23₱14.53
286.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.91₺342
$4.46₱281
54.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.41₺69.8
$1.31₱82.8
7.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.1K₺2.1M
$21.2K₱1.3M
98.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K₺2.0M
$19.1K₱1.2M
114.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$77.7₺3,845
$120₱7,569
-35.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.00₺545
$14.00₱882
-21.43%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.66₺726
$27.54₱1,734
-46.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.0₺3,019
$32.33₱2,035
88.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.61₺1,169
$6.65₱419
255.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.00₺297
$5.65₱356
6.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$561₺27.8K
$275₱17.3K
103.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.3K₺557.2K
$7,918₱498.5K
42.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.77₺2,216
$49.33₱3,106
-9.24%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.37₺1,751
$25.24₱1,589
40.13%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$81.2₺4,019
$77.0₱4,846
5.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.6₺4,683
$57.2₱3,601
65.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$404₺20.0K
$500₱31.5K
-19.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$323₺16.0K
$309₱19.4K
4.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$748₺37.0K
$1,078₱67.9K
-30.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$625₺30.9K
$615₱38.7K
1.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,194₺59.1K
$2,886₱181.7K
-58.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,218₺60.3K
$1,917₱120.7K
-36.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bursa
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,050₺52.0K
$346₱21.8K
203.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
42.67
7.2
492.64%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Bursa: October 11, 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
Bursa
$323 30.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 4.4%$14
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bursa
$242 22.5%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 14.8%$36
🍽Eating Out
Bursa
$171 16%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 48.5%$83
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bursa
$115 10.7%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 18.4%$21
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bursa
$103 9.6%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 56.6%$58
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bursa
$73 6.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 40.2%$29
🚌Getting Around
Bursa
$45 4.2%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 65.1%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Bursa
$625 27.1%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 1.5%$9.3
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bursa
$552 24%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 12.6%$69
🍽Eating Out
Bursa
$497 21.6%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 41.3%$205
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bursa
$256 11.1%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 18.4%$47
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bursa
$114 5%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 53.7%$61
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bursa
$170 7.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 44.6%$76
🚌Getting Around
Bursa
$91 4%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 65.4%$60
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $404 in Bursa and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Bursa pays 203% 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: $30.00 in Bursa vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 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
Bursa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Bursa?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bursa or Cebu?
Average pay runs 203% higher in Bursa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Bursa and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $404 in Bursa versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Bursa and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Bursa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Bursa or in Cebu?
Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $30.00 in Bursa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bursa or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,072 in Bursa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Bursa. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Bursa or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bursa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Bursa or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Bursa 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Bursa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.