Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $3,193 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cambridge
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,193
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,193 per month in Cambridge vs $934 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Cambridge $3,193
  • Cebu $934

A couple spends around $4,497 per month in Cambridge vs $1,415 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Cambridge $4,497
  • Cebu $1,415

A family of three spends $5,801 per month in Cambridge vs $1,896 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Cambridge $5,801
  • Cebu $1,896

Cambridge costs about 242% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cambridge sits 138% above the global median, while Cebu is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.44 £16.20
$3.03 ₱190
607.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.5 £67.6
$23.48 ₱1,473
281.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.39 £7.85
$4.09 ₱256
154.03%
Cappuccino
$4.65 £3.51
$2.52 ₱158
84.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 £2.13
$1.54 ₱96.9
83.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 £1.43
$0.49 ₱30.98
285.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.64 £5.77
$1.79 ₱112
326.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.53 £4.93
$2.26 ₱142
188.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 £1.19
$1.95 ₱122
-19.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.81 £1.37
$1.43 ₱89.7
26.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 £1.88
$1.02 ₱63.8
143.14%
Eggs
$4.56 £3.44
$2.06 ₱129
121.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.59 £7.25
$9.81 ₱615
-2.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 £6.99
$4.61 ₱289
100.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.41 £11.65
$7.70 ₱483
100.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 £2.20
$3.31 ₱207
-12.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 £1.30
$1.45 ₱90.9
18.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.66 £2.77
$2.36 ₱148
55.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.43 £2.59
$1.54 ₱96.4
122.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.75 £1.33
$2.36 ₱148
-25.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 £1.39
$1.99 ₱125
-7.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.15 ₱72.1
13.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 £1.48
$0.67 ₱42.15
192.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.60 £17.07
$3.00 ₱188
653.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.17 £8.44
$6.35 ₱398
75.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.28 £2.48
$1.31 ₱81.9
150.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.12 £3.11
$1.73 ₱108
138.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.89 £2.94
$0.25 ₱15.78
1456.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.4 £70.6
$12.65 ₱793
638.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.05 £6.09
$0.74 ₱46.32
987.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.57 £1.94
$0.21 ₱13.11
1123.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$50.3 £38.03
$4.33 ₱271
1062.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.58
$1.33 ₱83.5
57.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.9K
$21.8K ₱1.4M
75.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.8K
$19.4K ₱1.2M
110.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$336 £254
$121 ₱7,563
178.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £14.10
$14.45 ₱907
29.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.12 £31.83
$28.29 ₱1,774
48.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.6 £48.79
$32.68 ₱2,050
97.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.61 £15.57
$6.39 ₱401
222.54%
Cinema Ticket
$17.06 £12.89
$5.46 ₱342
212.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,538 £1,918
$273 ₱17.1K
828.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.2K £26.6K
$8,156 ₱511.5K
330.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.2 £66.6
$49.57 ₱3,109
77.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.02 £35.54
$24.87 ₱1,560
89.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.3 £70.5
$76.6 ₱4,804
21.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 £97.2
$59.3 ₱3,717
117.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 £1,572
$506 ₱31.7K
311.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,717 £1,297
$309 ₱19.4K
454.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,168 £2,394
$1,052 ₱66.0K
201.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,686 £2,030
$619 ₱38.8K
333.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,021 £6,817
$2,915 ₱182.9K
209.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,852 £4,422
$1,867 ₱117.1K
213.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cambridge
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,402 £3,327
$341 ₱21.4K
1190.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.04
7.2
-30.00%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cambridge
$1.7K
Cebu
$309 82% $1.4K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cambridge
$397
Cebu
$163 58.8% $233
Eating Out
Cambridge
$329
Cebu
$88 73.1% $240
Groceries & Markets
Cambridge
$325
Cebu
$210 35.2% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Cambridge
$161
Cebu
$95 41.1% $66
Getting Around
Cambridge
$130
Cebu
$15 88.1% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Cambridge
$99
Cebu
$44 55.8% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,080 in Cambridge versus $506 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 run about 1191% higher in Cambridge, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Cambridge versus $23.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $210 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Cambridge
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
06:25 6:25 AM
13:25 1:25 PM
7 h ahead of Cambridge
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
145,818
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cambridge Cebu 11,250 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cambridge
  • 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
Cambridge vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Cambridge?
Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 242%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,790 per month in Cambridge 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 Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Cambridge or in Cebu?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Cambridge and $23.00 in Cebu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Cambridge and in Cebu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,193 in Cambridge and $934 in Cebu. That's a gap of about 242%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cambridge or in Cebu?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Cambridge at $3,193. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cambridge it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cambridge or Cebu more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cebu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Cambridge or Cebu?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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