Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Albacete

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,551 in Albacete, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Albacete
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,551
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Albacete

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 Albacete actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,551 in Albacete.

  • Cebu $918
  • Albacete $1,551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,230 in Albacete.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Albacete $2,230

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,910 in Albacete.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Albacete $2,910

Living in Cebu costs roughly 41% less than in Albacete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Albacete is 15% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$14.35 €12.77
-78.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$48.40 €43.05
-49.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$9.24 €8.22
-57.58%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.18 €1.94
15.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$2.34 €2.08
-32.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$1.66 €1.48
-68.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$2.82 €2.51
-36.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$4.73 €4.20
-54.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.82 €0.73
134.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.82 €0.73
65.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.68 €1.49
-39.88%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.98 €2.65
-31.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$16.58 €14.75
-40.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$5.69 €5.06
-22.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$17.42 €15.49
-56.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.64 €2.35
25.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.08 €1.85
-33.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$2.49 €2.21
-6.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$2.51 €2.23
-40.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$2.21 €1.96
6.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$2.17 €1.93
-12.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.56 €1.38
-23.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.54 €0.48
16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$6.53 €5.81
-54.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$5.32 €4.73
13.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.21 €1.08
1.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.20 €1.96
-20.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$1.36 €1.21
-81.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$16.75 €14.90
-24.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$3.81 €3.39
-79.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.55 €1.38
-85.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$29.98 €26.67
-85.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.67 €1.49
-21.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$34.6K €30.7K
-38.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$29.5K €26.2K
-35.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$187 €166
-35.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$18.20 €16.19
-23.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$16.99 €15.11
62.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$4.43 €3.94
50.11%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$9.07 €8.07
-37.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$676 €602
-59.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$17.5K €15.6K
-54.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$82.5 €73.4
-40.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$43.22 €38.44
-41.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$90.1 €80.1
-14.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$113 €101
-49.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$920 €818
-45.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$662 €589
-53.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$1,240 €1,103
-13.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$947 €843
-35.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$2,301 €2,047
25.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$2,041 €1,816
-6.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Albacete
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$1,959 €1,743
-82.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
3.14
129.30%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Albacete: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Albacete
$662 114% $353
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Albacete
$258 25.5% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Albacete
$222 37.4% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Albacete
$148 57.7% $54
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Albacete
$208 136% $120
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Albacete
$18 * 58.4% $25
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Albacete
$34 117% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $920 in Albacete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albacete pays 466% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $48.00 in Albacete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $258 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇪🇸 Albacete
🕒 Local time
14:02 2:02 PM
08:02 8:02 AM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
173,206
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Albacete 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Albacete

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 Albacete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cebu and in Albacete?
Cebu and Albacete differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $1,551 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 466% lower in Albacete. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Cebu and in Albacete?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $920 in Albacete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $48.00 in Albacete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cebu or Albacete?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,551 in Albacete – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,551 in Albacete, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Albacete. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Albacete?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Cebu or Albacete safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Albacete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Cebu or Albacete?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Albacete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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