Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calbayog and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $739 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calbayog, Philippines
Cebu, Philippines
Calbayog
🇵🇭 Philippines
$739
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Calbayog vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Calbayog $739
  • Cebu $934

A couple spends around $1,112 per month in Calbayog vs $1,423 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Calbayog $1,112
  • Cebu $1,423

A family of three spends $1,486 per month in Calbayog vs $1,913 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Calbayog $1,486
  • Cebu $1,913

Calbayog is about 21% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calbayog and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Calbayog 46% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.94 ₱252
$3.79 ₱243
3.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.45 ₱1,053
$23.33 ₱1,493
-29.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.49 ₱159
$3.94 ₱252
-36.80%
Cappuccino
$2.30 ₱147
$2.54 ₱163
-9.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₱36.64
$1.57 ₱100
-63.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₱19.37
$0.47 ₱29.87
-36.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.28 ₱82.1
$1.77 ₱113
-27.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 ₱114
$2.22 ₱142
-19.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ₱95.8
$1.90 ₱121
-21.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 ₱75.2
$1.36 ₱87.3
-13.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.91 ₱58.5
$0.94 ₱59.9
-3.19%
Eggs
$2.08 ₱133
$1.99 ₱127
4.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.21 ₱333
$9.70 ₱621
-46.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.80 ₱243
$4.32 ₱276
-12.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.32 ₱404
$7.51 ₱481
-15.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.52 ₱161
$3.31 ₱212
-23.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 ₱93.3
$1.37 ₱87.6
6.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.48 ₱158
$2.34 ₱150
5.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 ₱69.2
$1.49 ₱95.5
-27.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 ₱119
$2.30 ₱147
-19.13%
Onion (1kg)
$2.13 ₱136
$1.87 ₱120
13.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₱72.0
$1.10 ₱70.4
2.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₱36.58
$0.63 ₱40.42
-9.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.85 ₱183
$2.86 ₱183
-0.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.97 ₱510
$6.08 ₱389
31.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ₱65.3
$1.27 ₱81.6
-19.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 ₱131
$1.72 ₱110
19.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.85
$0.22 ₱14.01
18.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.60 ₱678
$12.34 ₱790
-14.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 ₱50.1
$0.74 ₱47.60
5.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.24 ₱15.29
$0.22 ₱14.10
9.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 ₱124
$4.28 ₱274
-54.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 ₱81.7
$1.31 ₱83.8
-2.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.2K ₱1.2M
$20.8K ₱1.3M
-12.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.3K ₱1.0M
$19.0K ₱1.2M
-14.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$135 ₱8,613
$118 ₱7,577
13.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.04 ₱898
$15.76 ₱1,009
-10.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.69 ₱1,516
$28.33 ₱1,813
-16.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.92 ₱1,979
$32.94 ₱2,108
-6.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.83 ₱309
$6.49 ₱415
-25.58%
Cinema Ticket
$4.88 ₱312
$5.45 ₱349
-10.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$126 ₱8,085
$276 ₱17.6K
-54.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,047 ₱450.9K
$7,789 ₱498.4K
-9.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.57 ₱1,956
$48.18 ₱3,083
-36.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.67 ₱1,131
$24.47 ₱1,566
-27.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.3 ₱3,856
$75.3 ₱4,817
-19.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.7 ₱3,694
$58.0 ₱3,713
-0.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$284 ₱18.2K
$477 ₱30.5K
-40.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$182 ₱11.6K
$322 ₱20.6K
-43.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$523 ₱33.5K
$963 ₱61.6K
-45.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$369 ₱23.6K
$626 ₱40.0K
-41.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,324 ₱148.7K
$4,551 ₱291.2K
-48.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,159 ₱74.2K
$3,028 ₱193.8K
-61.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calbayog
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$147 ₱9,436
$333 ₱21.3K
-55.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.92
7.2
-3.89%

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

Last update for Calbayog: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calbayog
$182
Cebu
$322 76.9% $140
Groceries & Markets
Calbayog
$175
Cebu
$204 16.3% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calbayog
$172
Cebu
$163 5.7% $9.8
Eating Out
Calbayog
$80
Cebu
$94 17.5% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Calbayog
$75
Cebu
$93 23.9% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Calbayog
$41
Cebu
$44 7.8% $3.2
Getting Around
Calbayog
$14
Cebu
$15 10.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Calbayog 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Calbayog versus $23 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $204 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Calbayog
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
14:25 2:25 PM
14:25 2:25 PM
Same time as Calbayog
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
183,851
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calbayog Cebu 210 km
From you
  • Calbayog
  • 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
Calbayog vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calbayog cheaper than Cebu?
Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,108 per month in Calbayog and $1,401 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calbayog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $477 in Cebu.
How do food prices compare in Calbayog and in Cebu?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Calbayog or in Cebu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Calbayog and $23 in Cebu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is Calbayog or Cebu more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Calbayog – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Calbayog. 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.

Calbayog vs other spots: cost of living compared

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