Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Akita

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,213 in Akita, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Akita
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Akita Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Akita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Akita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $915 per month in Cebu vs $1,213 in Akita, rent included.

Cebu $915
Akita $1,213

A couple spends around $1,418 per month in Cebu vs $1,904 in Akita, rent included.

Cebu $1,418
Akita $1,904

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Cebu vs $2,596 in Akita, rent included.

Cebu $1,921
Akita $2,596

Cebu is about 25% cheaper than Akita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Akita are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 33% lower, Akita 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$6.21 ¥981

-50.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$31.98 ¥5,052

-24.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$4.90 ¥775

-18.57%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$3.54 ¥559

-29.38%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.99 ¥156

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.81 ¥128

-38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.93 ¥306

-7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.12 ¥493

-30.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.52 ¥240

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.59 ¥252

-13.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$4.11 ¥650

-74.94%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.04 ¥323

-0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$10.19 ¥1,610

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$6.52 ¥1,031

-31.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$16.23 ¥2,565

-52.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.63 ¥573

-8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.25 ¥355

-35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.83 ¥448

-18.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$4.20 ¥663

-64.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.43 ¥384

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.48 ¥392

-21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.29 ¥204

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.81 ¥127

-16.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$4.01 ¥634

-25.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$6.58 ¥1,039

-5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.88 ¥296

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.07 ¥327

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$1.51 ¥239

-84.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$54.0 ¥8,525

-77.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$3.19 ¥503

-75.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$2.79 ¥440

-92.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$18.55 ¥2,931

-75.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.31 ¥207

0.76%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.7K ¥3.4M

-3.13%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

28.02%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$135 ¥21.3K

-11.92%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$24.50 ¥3,871

-41.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$31.46 ¥4,971

-12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$52.7 ¥8,332

-38.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$11.84 ¥1,870

-54.39%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$507 ¥80.1K

-45.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$12.7K ¥2.0M

-37.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$41.47 ¥6,552

19.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$46.21 ¥7,301

-46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$84.7 ¥13.4K

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$88.0 ¥13.9K

-33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$526 ¥83.1K

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$336 ¥53.1K

-9.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,089 ¥172.1K

-1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$723 ¥114.1K

-12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$4,173 ¥659.3K

-31.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,782 ¥281.5K

5.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$1,613 ¥254.9K

-79.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.21

225.79%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Akita: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Akita

$336 27.7% 10.4% $32

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Akita

$285 23.5% 36.1% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Akita

$191 15.7% 18.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Akita

$117 9.7% 24.3% $23

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Akita

$130 10.7% 48% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Akita

$76 6.3% 77.3% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Akita

$77 6.4% 409% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Cebu versus $526 in Akita. 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 380% higher in Akita, 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 $24.00 in Cebu versus $32.00 in Akita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $285 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇯🇵 Akita

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

01:56 1:56 AM

1 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

307,672

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Akita 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Akita

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

Cebu vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Akita costs about 33% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,372 per month in Cebu and $1,819 in Akita. 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.

Public transport costs about 337% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Cebu and $507 in Akita. 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 Akita at $1,213. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akita it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $915 versus $1,213 in Akita. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Akita makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.