Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calabar and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Calabar: $821 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Cebu despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Calabar

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$821

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $821 per month in Calabar vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

Calabar $821
Cebu $934

A couple spends around $1,130 per month in Calabar vs $1,423 in Cebu, rent included.

Calabar $1,130
Cebu $1,423

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Calabar vs $1,913 in Cebu, rent included.

Calabar $1,440
Cebu $1,913

Calabar is about 12% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calabar and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Calabar 40% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₦1,531

$3.79 ₱243

-69.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,493

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

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

$0.35 ₦475

$1.57 ₱100

-77.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₦255

$0.47 ₱29.87

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ₦1,160

$1.77 ₱113

-50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₦1,637

$2.22 ₱142

-45.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₦1,831

$1.36 ₱87.3

0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₦1,959

$0.94 ₱59.9

55.32%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱481

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱212

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱150

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.5

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₦577

$0.63 ₱40.42

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 ₦6,047

$6.08 ₱389

-25.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₦1,480

$1.27 ₱81.6

-13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₦2,020

$1.72 ₱110

-12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱790

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.60

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱274

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.8

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

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

$118 ₱7,577

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

$15.76 ₱1,009

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,813

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱349

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

$276 ₱17.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱498.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,083

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,566

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,817

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,713

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 ₦1.5M

$477 ₱30.5K

138.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₦1.0M

$322 ₱20.6K

136.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 ₦2.5M

$963 ₱61.6K

94.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 ₦1.8M

$626 ₱40.0K

112.27%

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 %)

7.2

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

Last update for Calabar: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calabar

–

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Groceries & Markets

Calabar

–

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calabar

–

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Eating Out

Calabar

–

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Calabar

–

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Calabar

–

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Getting Around

Calabar

–

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,138 in Calabar 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.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Calabar

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

7 h ahead of Calabar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

371,022

964,169

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calabar Cebu 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Calabar
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

Calabar vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $821 in Calabar, $934 in Cebu – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,232 per month in Calabar 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 Cebu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $477 there versus $1,138 in Calabar.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $821 in Calabar and $934 in Cebu. That’s a gap of about 14%.

Groceries cost about 382% 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 $821 in Calabar and $934 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $821 in Calabar to $934 in Cebu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.