Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Alcoy

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,558 in Alcoy, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Alcoy
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,558
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Alcoy

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $1,558 in Alcoy, rent included.

  • Cebu $918
  • Alcoy $1,558

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $2,293 in Alcoy, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Alcoy $2,293

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $3,028 in Alcoy, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Alcoy $3,028

Cebu is about 41% cheaper than Alcoy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Alcoy is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$10.08 €8.97
-69.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$56.3 €50.1
-56.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$13.03 €11.59
-69.92%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$1.83 €1.63
37.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$1.69 €1.51
-5.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$1.26 €1.12
-57.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$3.34 €2.97
-46.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.43 €2.16
-10.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.03 €0.92
86.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.49 €1.32
-8.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.36 €1.21
-25.74%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$3.37 €3.00
-39.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$13.46 €11.97
-26.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$8.34 €7.42
-47.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$15.73 €13.99
-51.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.61 €2.32
26.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.08 €1.85
-33.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.84 €1.64
26.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$2.57 €2.29
-41.63%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.85 €1.64
27.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$2.03 €1.81
-6.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.33 €1.18
-10.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.57 €0.51
10.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$6.24 €5.55
-51.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$5.75 €5.11
4.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.23 €1.09
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.39 €1.24
25.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$1.65 €1.47
-84.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$33.06 €29.41
-61.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$4.11 €3.66
-81.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.43 €1.27
-83.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$22.58 €20.09
-80.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.80 €1.60
-27.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$35.3K €31.4K
-39.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$29.4K €26.2K
-34.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$146 €130
-17.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$18.03 €16.04
-22.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$29.72 €26.44
-7.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$44.74 €39.80
-27.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$15.66 €13.93
-57.54%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$8.99 €8.00
-37.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$473 €421
-41.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$8,402 €7,474
-5.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$84.5 €75.1
-41.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$36.40 €32.37
-30.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$91.1 €81.0
-15.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$110 €97.9
-48.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$903 €804
-44.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$670 €596
-53.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$1,332 €1,185
-19.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$998 €887
-38.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$3,340 €2,971
-13.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$2,198 €1,955
-12.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Alcoy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$1,883 €1,675
-81.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
3.3
118.18%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alcoy: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Alcoy
$670 117% $361
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Alcoy
$261 27% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Alcoy
$193 19.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Alcoy
$145 54.2% $51
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Alcoy
$175 98.3% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Alcoy
$63 43.8% $19
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Alcoy
$51 227% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $903 in Alcoy. 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 444% higher in Alcoy, 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 $56.0 in Alcoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $261 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇪🇸 Alcoy
🕒 Local time
03:49 3:49 AM
21:49 9:49 PM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
59,493
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Alcoy 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Alcoy

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 Alcoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cebu and in Alcoy compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $1,558 in Alcoy – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Cebu compared to Alcoy?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $2,338 in Alcoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cebu and Alcoy?
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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 27% more in Alcoy, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $56.0 in Alcoy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Alcoy at $1,558. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alcoy it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Alcoy?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in Cebu to $1,558 in Alcoy. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cebu or Alcoy safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Cebu and Alcoy?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alcoy makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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