Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City: $801 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Cagayan de Oro City
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Cagayan de Oro City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cagayan de Oro City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$801

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $934 in Cebu.

Cagayan de Oro City $801
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,142 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Cagayan de Oro City $1,142
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,484 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Cagayan de Oro City $1,484
Cebu $1,913

Living in Cagayan de Oro City costs roughly 14% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cagayan de Oro City 41% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 ₱225

$3.79 ₱242

-7.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ₱788

$23.33 ₱1,491

-47.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.89 ₱185

$3.94 ₱252

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ₱145

$2.54 ₱163

-11.02%

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

$0.69 ₱44.07

$1.57 ₱100

-56.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.45

$0.47 ₱29.82

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₱85.0

$1.77 ₱113

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱128

$2.22 ₱142

-9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₱92.0

$1.90 ₱121

-24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₱56.6

$1.36 ₱87.1

-34.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.9

$0.94 ₱59.8

-3.19%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱131

$1.99 ₱127

3.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 ₱516

$9.70 ₱620

-16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ₱208

$4.32 ₱276

-24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.77 ₱369

$7.51 ₱480

-23.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ₱136

$3.31 ₱211

-35.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 ₱67.3

$1.37 ₱87.5

-23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$2.34 ₱149

-1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.6

$1.49 ₱95.4

-24.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 ₱126

$2.30 ₱147

-14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ₱164

$1.87 ₱120

37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ₱48.53

$1.10 ₱70.3

-30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱30.33

$0.63 ₱40.36

-25.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱187

$2.86 ₱183

2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.93 ₱251

$6.08 ₱389

-35.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱80.7

$1.27 ₱81.4

-0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.72 ₱110

11.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₱18.33

$0.22 ₱13.99

31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.49 ₱734

$12.34 ₱788

-6.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 ₱39.41

$0.74 ₱47.53

-16.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.09

$0.22 ₱14.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱121

$4.28 ₱273

-55.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ₱64.8

$1.31 ₱83.7

-22.90%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

0.43%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.46%

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

$131 ₱8,394

$118 ₱7,565

10.95%

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

$22.03 ₱1,408

$15.76 ₱1,007

39.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 ₱1,927

$28.33 ₱1,810

6.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.12 ₱1,541

$32.94 ₱2,105

-26.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.80 ₱179

$6.49 ₱415

-56.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 ₱278

$5.45 ₱348

-20.18%

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

$64.3 ₱4,111

$276 ₱17.6K

-76.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,231 ₱142.5K

$7,789 ₱497.7K

-71.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.70 ₱2,026

$48.18 ₱3,078

-34.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.22 ₱844

$24.47 ₱1,564

-45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 ₱3,221

$75.3 ₱4,810

-33.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.53 ₱2,526

$58.0 ₱3,707

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₱27.1K

$477 ₱30.5K

-11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₱17.1K

$322 ₱20.6K

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 ₱42.6K

$963 ₱61.5K

-30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₱28.2K

$626 ₱40.0K

-29.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,562 ₱99.8K

$4,551 ₱290.8K

-65.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 ₱61.0K

$3,028 ₱193.5K

-68.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$307 ₱19.6K

$333 ₱21.3K

-7.93%

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 Cagayan de Oro City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cagayan de Oro City

$267 33.3%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 20.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cagayan de Oro City

$184 22.9%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 11.5% $21

Groceries & Markets

Cagayan de Oro City

$162 20.3%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 25.4% $41

Eating Out

Cagayan de Oro City

$80 10%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 17.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cagayan de Oro City

$61 7.6%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 52.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cagayan de Oro City

$33 4.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 33.6% $11

Getting Around

Cagayan de Oro City

$14 1.8%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 4.9% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Cagayan de Oro City and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 9% 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: $12 in Cagayan de Oro City vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $204 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cagayan de Oro City

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

Same time as Cagayan de Oro City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

728,402

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

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Cagayan de Oro City Cebu 220 km

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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

Cagayan de Oro City vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $801 in Cagayan de Oro City and $934 in Cebu, so Cagayan de Oro City is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Cagayan de Oro City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $424 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $12 versus $23 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cagayan de Oro City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.