Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabanatuan and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $603 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$603

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $603 per month in Cabanatuan vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

Cabanatuan $603
Cebu $934

A couple spends around $934 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,423 in Cebu, rent included.

Cabanatuan $934
Cebu $1,423

A family of three spends $1,265 per month in Cabanatuan vs $1,913 in Cebu, rent included.

Cabanatuan $1,265
Cebu $1,913

Cabanatuan is about 35% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabanatuan and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Cabanatuan 56% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ₱247

$3.79 ₱242

2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.22 ₱1,036

$23.33 ₱1,491

-30.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱174

$3.94 ₱252

-30.96%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱112

$2.54 ₱163

-30.71%

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

$0.60 ₱38.22

$1.57 ₱100

-61.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.31

$0.47 ₱29.82

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱63.5

$1.77 ₱113

-44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱102

$2.22 ₱142

-27.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.90 ₱121

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.36 ₱87.1

-19.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.1

$0.94 ₱59.8

-1.06%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱132

$1.99 ₱127

3.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ₱312

$9.70 ₱620

-49.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ₱210

$4.32 ₱276

-24.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 ₱499

$7.51 ₱480

3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ₱143

$3.31 ₱211

-32.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₱66.0

$1.37 ₱87.5

-24.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱149

$2.34 ₱149

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ₱48.26

$1.49 ₱95.4

-48.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ₱105

$2.30 ₱147

-28.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$1.87 ₱120

-10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.83

$1.10 ₱70.3

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.20

$0.63 ₱40.36

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ₱182

$2.86 ₱183

-0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.41 ₱537

$6.08 ₱389

38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱57.1

$1.27 ₱81.4

-29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱129

$1.72 ₱110

16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.22 ₱13.99

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.20 ₱779

$12.34 ₱788

-1.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱51.4

$0.74 ₱47.53

8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.22 ₱14.08

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱117

$4.28 ₱273

-57.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 ₱62.4

$1.31 ₱83.7

-25.19%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

1.09%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.22%

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

$52.5 ₱3,356

$118 ₱7,565

-55.65%

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

$17.06 ₱1,090

$15.76 ₱1,007

8.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.33 ₱1,363

$28.33 ₱1,810

-24.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.88 ₱695

$32.94 ₱2,105

-66.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.72 ₱302

$6.49 ₱415

-27.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₱333

$5.45 ₱348

-4.22%

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

$130 ₱8,331

$276 ₱17.6K

-52.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ₱671.0K

$7,789 ₱497.7K

34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.08 ₱1,475

$48.18 ₱3,078

-52.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 ₱1,211

$24.47 ₱1,564

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 ₱3,771

$75.3 ₱4,810

-21.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,530

$58.0 ₱3,707

-4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.7K

$477 ₱30.5K

-45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₱10.6K

$322 ₱20.6K

-48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 ₱27.6K

$963 ₱61.5K

-55.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ₱19.7K

$626 ₱40.0K

-50.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 ₱184.6K

$4,551 ₱290.8K

-36.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,257 ₱80.3K

$3,028 ₱193.5K

-58.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 ₱10.1K

$333 ₱21.3K

-52.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.2

-6.25%

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

Last update for Cabanatuan: 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

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 22.4% $37

Accommodation & Living

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 93.4% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 78.8% $72

Eating Out

Cabanatuan

$72 12%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 30.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 31.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 106% $23

Getting Around

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 0.9% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $261 in Cabanatuan versus $477 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 in Cebu are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cabanatuan versus $23 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $204 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Cabanatuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,231

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cabanatuan Cebu 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cabanatuan
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

Cabanatuan vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $603 in Cabanatuan, $934 in Cebu – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $904 per month in Cabanatuan 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 Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $261 there versus $477 in Cebu.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cabanatuan and $23 in Cebu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $603 in Cabanatuan and $934 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cabanatuan. 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.