For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,834 in Almada, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Almada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $1,834 in Almada, rent included.
Cebu $918
Almada $1,834
A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $2,675 in Almada, rent included.
Cebu $1,409
Almada $2,675
A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $3,517 in Almada, rent included.
Cebu $1,900
Almada $3,517
🙂
Cebu is about 50% cheaper than Almada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Almada is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$16.72€14.88
-81.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$56.5€50.3
-57.13%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$11.32€10.07
-65.37%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$2.47€2.20
1.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$1.54€1.37
3.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$1.18€1.05
-55.08%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$3.32€2.96
-46.39%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$3.31€2.94
-34.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.03€0.92
86.41%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$1.22€1.08
11.48%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$1.51€1.34
-33.11%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$3.81€3.39
-46.72%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$12.09€10.75
-18.44%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$7.71€6.86
-43.06%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$15.27€13.58
-50.23%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.24€1.99
47.32%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$1.30€1.15
6.92%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$1.85€1.65
25.95%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$2.53€2.25
-40.71%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.86€1.66
26.88%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.72€1.53
10.47%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.67€1.48
-28.74%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.76€0.68
-17.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$6.27€5.57
-52.15%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$5.46€4.85
10.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.34€1.19
-8.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.17€1.93
-19.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Almada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$2.12€1.88
-88.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$44.21€39.32
-71.41%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$3.97€3.53
-80.60%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.82€0.73
-71.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$16.49€14.67
-72.95%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$2.08€1.85
-37.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$33.3K€29.6K
-36.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$38.2K€34.0K
-49.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$110€97.9
9.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$19.05€16.94
-26.51%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$32.08€28.53
-14.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$36.54€32.50
-11.52%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$14.87€13.23
-55.28%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$8.71€7.74
-35.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$603€536
-54.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$11.3K€10.1K
-29.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$104€92.5
-52.58%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$44.91€39.94
-43.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$84.5€75.2
-8.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$105€93.2
-45.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Almada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$1,144€1,017
-56.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$924€822
-66.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$1,730€1,539
-37.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$1,401€1,246
-56.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$5,160€4,590
-44.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$3,232€2,875
-40.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Almada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$1,313€1,168
-73.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3.54
103.39%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Almada: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Almada
$924 50.4% ↑ 199%$615
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Almada
$250 13.6% ↑ 21.5%$44
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Almada
$161 8.8% ↓ 0.4%$0.6
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Almada
$152 8.3% ↑ 62%$58
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Almada
$231 12.6% ↑ 162%$143
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Almada
$54 2.9% ↑ 23.7%$10
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Almada
$61 3.3% ↑ 290%$45
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Almada
$1.4K 39.9% ↑ 128%$786
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Almada
$593 16.9% ↑ 22.9%$111
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Almada
$180 5.1% ↑ 2.5%$4.4
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Almada
$338 9.6% ↑ 62%$129
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Almada
$755 21.5% ↑ 159%$463
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Almada
$123 3.5% ↑ 30.8%$29
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Almada
$126 3.6% ↑ 297%$94
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $1,144 in Almada. 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 279% higher in Almada, 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 Almada. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $250 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Almada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cebu and in Almada compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $1,834 in Almada – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Cebu compared to Almada?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $2,751 in Almada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cebu and Almada?
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 restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $56.0 in Almada. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cebu or Almada?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $1,834 in Almada. That's a gap of about 100%.
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 Almada at $1,834. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almada it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Almada?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in Cebu to $1,834 in Almada. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cebu or Almada 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 Almada?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.