Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $569 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$569

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $569 in Butuan versus $934 in Cebu.

Butuan $569
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $899 in Butuan versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Butuan $899
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,229 in Butuan versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Butuan $1,229
Cebu $1,913

Living in Butuan costs roughly 39% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 58% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ₱298

$3.79 ₱243

22.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.45 ₱1,693

$23.33 ₱1,493

13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.32 ₱149

$3.94 ₱252

-41.12%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ₱131

$2.54 ₱163

-19.69%

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

$0.30 ₱19.17

$1.57 ₱100

-80.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.36

$0.47 ₱29.87

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱101

$1.77 ₱113

-10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱152

$2.22 ₱142

6.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.90 ₱121

1.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱71.1

$1.36 ₱87.3

-18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.3

$0.94 ₱59.9

-4.26%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱117

$1.99 ₱127

-8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.42 ₱411

$9.70 ₱621

-33.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ₱304

$4.32 ₱276

9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ₱602

$7.51 ₱481

25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ₱170

$3.31 ₱212

-19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ₱69.8

$1.37 ₱87.6

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱153

$2.34 ₱150

2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.7

$1.49 ₱95.5

-21.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$2.30 ₱147

-14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 ₱218

$1.87 ₱120

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.5

$1.10 ₱70.4

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.76

$0.63 ₱40.42

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₱155

$2.86 ₱183

-15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 ₱491

$6.08 ₱389

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.5

$1.27 ₱81.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱103

$1.72 ₱110

-6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱790

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.8

$0.74 ₱47.60

9.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.40

$0.22 ₱14.10

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$4.28 ₱274

-54.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱68.1

$1.31 ₱83.8

-19.08%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.09%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.42%

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

$106 ₱6,765

$118 ₱7,577

-10.72%

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

$18.42 ₱1,179

$15.76 ₱1,009

16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ₱1,960

$28.33 ₱1,813

8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.59 ₱1,509

$32.94 ₱2,108

-28.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$4.18 ₱267

$5.45 ₱349

-23.30%

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

$106 ₱6,779

$276 ₱17.6K

-61.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,473 ₱478.2K

$7,789 ₱498.4K

-4.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,811

$48.18 ₱3,083

23.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 ₱1,929

$24.47 ₱1,566

23.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ₱4,417

$75.3 ₱4,817

-8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,884

$58.0 ₱3,713

4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱291.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.2

15.42%

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

Last update for Butuan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butuan

$198 34.9%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 2.7% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butuan

$155 27.2%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 5% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Butuan

$99 17.3%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 6.1% $6.1

Eating Out

Butuan

$84 14.7%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 12.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Butuan

$32 5.6%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 37.3% $12

Getting Around

Butuan

$2 * 0.4%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 649% $13

Accommodation & Living

Butuan

- * 0%

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26 in Butuan vs $23 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $204, with Butuan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Butuan

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

Same time as Butuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,063

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Butuan Cebu 230 km

From you

Butuan
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

Butuan vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Cebu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $854 in Butuan and $1,401 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $106 in Butuan versus $276 in Cebu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $23 versus $26 in Butuan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $569 in Butuan versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Butuan 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.