For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,544 in Almelo, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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 Almelo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $2,544 in Almelo, rent included.
Cebu $918
Almelo $2,544
A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $3,805 in Almelo, rent included.
Cebu $1,409
Almelo $3,805
A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $5,066 in Almelo, rent included.
Cebu $1,900
Almelo $5,066
🙂
Cebu is about 64% cheaper than Almelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Almelo is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$20.17€17.94
-84.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$101€90.1
-76.08%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$15.47€13.76
-74.66%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$4.64€4.13
-45.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$3.92€3.49
-59.44%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$3.16€2.81
-83.23%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$5.55€4.94
-67.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$5.54€4.93
-60.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.33€1.18
44.36%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$2.60€2.32
-47.69%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.66€2.36
-62.03%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$4.55€4.04
-55.38%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$12.89€11.46
-23.51%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$13.14€11.69
-66.59%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$18.46€16.42
-58.83%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.97€2.64
11.11%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.41€2.14
-42.32%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$2.53€2.25
-7.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$4.75€4.22
-68.42%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$2.03€1.81
16.26%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.56€1.39
21.79%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.30€1.16
-8.46%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$1.21€1.07
-47.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$13.68€12.17
-78.07%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$6.52€5.80
-7.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.37€1.22
-10.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.52€2.24
-30.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$3.75€3.33
-93.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$97.9€87.1
-87.08%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$6.67€5.94
-88.46%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$2.66€2.36
-91.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$28.91€25.72
-84.57%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$2.12€1.89
-38.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$41.3K€36.8K
-48.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$38.6K€34.3K
-50.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$230€205
-47.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$20.64€18.36
-32.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$50.0€44.49
-44.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$41.63€37.03
-22.34%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$21.12€18.79
-68.51%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$16.67€14.82
-66.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$1,728€1,537
-84.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$7,567€6,730
4.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$105€93.2
-52.92%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$45.47€40.45
-44.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$105€93.1
-26.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$193€172
-70.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$1,337€1,189
-62.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$1,158€1,030
-73.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$2,369€2,107
-54.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$1,868€1,662
-67.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$4,914€4,371
-41.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$4,268€3,797
-55.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Almelo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$4,829€4,295
-92.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3.43
109.91%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Almelo: October 10, 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%
Almelo
$1.2K 45.5% ↑ 275%$849
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Almelo
$345 13.6% ↑ 67.5%$139
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Almelo
$301 11.8% ↑ 86%$139
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Almelo
$202 7.9% ↑ 115%$108
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Almelo
$331 13% ↑ 275%$242
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Almelo
$75 3% ↑ 71.8%$31
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Almelo
$133 5.2% ↑ 753%$117
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Almelo
$1.9K 36.9% ↑ 204%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Almelo
$817 16.1% ↑ 69.3%$334
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Almelo
$322 6.4% ↑ 82.9%$146
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Almelo
$448 8.9% ↑ 115%$240
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Almelo
$1.2K 23% ↑ 300%$875
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Almelo
$171 3.4% ↑ 82.2%$77
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Almelo
$273 5.4% ↑ 763%$241
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $1,337 in Almelo. 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 1296% higher in Almelo, 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 $101 in Almelo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $345 – 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 Almelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cebu or Almelo?
Almelo costs about 177% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cebu and in Almelo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $3,816 in Almelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cebu or Almelo?
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.
How expensive is transport in Cebu compared to Almelo?
Public transport costs about 674% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Cebu and in Almelo?
Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $1,728 in Almelo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cebu or in Almelo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Almelo at $2,544. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almelo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cebu or Almelo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $918 versus $2,544 in Almelo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Cebu compared to Almelo?
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.
Should I move to Cebu or to Almelo?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almelo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.