Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Carlow vs $915 in Cebu, rent included.

Carlow $2,548
Cebu $915

A couple spends around $3,814 per month in Carlow vs $1,418 in Cebu, rent included.

Carlow $3,814
Cebu $1,418

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Carlow vs $1,921 in Cebu, rent included.

Carlow $5,081
Cebu $1,921

Carlow costs about 179% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Carlow sits 88% above the global median, while Cebu is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.01 €18.69

$3.05 ₱192

588.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.7

$24.00 ₱1,511

277.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$3.99 ₱251

228.32%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$2.50 ₱157

70.00%

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

$2.67 €2.37

$1.54 ₱97.1

73.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.97

$0.50 ₱31.37

344.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 €6.59

$1.78 ₱112

316.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$2.17 ₱136

201.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.00 ₱126

-18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.37 ₱86.2

45.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.69

$1.03 ₱64.9

85.44%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.87

$2.03 ₱128

114.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.98

$10.20 ₱642

32.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 €11.39

$4.45 ₱280

187.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 €12.84

$7.67 ₱483

88.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.31 ₱208

-3.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.46 ₱91.8

105.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 €2.96

$2.32 ₱146

43.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.92

$1.49 ₱94.0

120.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.34 ₱147

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.94 ₱122

-9.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.16 ₱73.0

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.68 ₱42.89

95.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.84 €16.76

$2.99 ₱188

530.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 €12.04

$6.24 ₱393

116.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$1.23 ₱77.3

247.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.05

$1.73 ₱109

98.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.23 ₱14.36

443.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 €4.55

$0.79 ₱49.96

546.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.22 ₱13.86

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.43 €28.85

$4.54 ₱286

614.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.32 ₱82.9

58.33%

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

$38.6K €34.4K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

83.92%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

96.45%

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

$243 €216

$119 ₱7,464

104.92%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$14.22 ₱896

56.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 €50.2

$27.47 ₱1,730

105.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 €70.1

$32.31 ₱2,034

143.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.1 €49.93

$6.50 ₱409

763.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 €12.09

$5.40 ₱340

151.67%

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

$1,052 €936

$276 ₱17.4K

281.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,449 €4,847

$7,866 ₱495.3K

-30.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 €84.8

$49.37 ₱3,108

93.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 €37.92

$24.58 ₱1,548

73.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$76.6 ₱4,825

31.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.3

$58.9 ₱3,706

72.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,282

$503 ₱31.7K

186.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 €1,121

$305 ₱19.2K

313.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,310

$1,075 ₱67.7K

141.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 €1,914

$632 ₱39.8K

240.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,664 €5,038

$2,870 ₱180.7K

97.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,675 €5,937

$1,877 ₱118.2K

255.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,351 €2,091

$336 ₱21.1K

599.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-44.44%

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

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 75.8% $956

Groceries & Markets

Carlow

$361 14.2%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 41.9% $151

Eating Out

Carlow

$328 12.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 73.3% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlow

$322 12.6%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 50.2% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Carlow

$153 6%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 38.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Carlow

$106 4.2%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 59.3% $63

Getting Around

Carlow

$18 * 0.7%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 14.9% $2.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,441 in Carlow versus $503 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 600% higher in Carlow, 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 $91.0 in Carlow versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $210 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Carlow

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

05:18 5:18 AM

7 h ahead of Carlow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,351

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlow Cebu 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlow
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

Carlow vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 179%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,822 per month in Carlow and $1,372 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,548 in Carlow and $915 in Cebu. That's a gap of about 179%.

Kindergarten costs $1,052 per month in Carlow and $276 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Carlow at $2,548. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.