Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $30,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Amsterdam

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $3,504 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Cebu $934
Amsterdam $3,504

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Cebu vs $5,010 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Cebu $1,415
Amsterdam $5,010

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Cebu vs $6,516 in Amsterdam, rent included.

Cebu $1,896
Amsterdam $6,516

Cebu is about 73% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 30% below the global median, while Amsterdam is 161% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$22.37 €19.96

-86.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$91.0 €81.2

-74.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$15.36 €13.71

-73.37%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.60 €4.11

-45.22%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$3.74 €3.33

-58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$3.03 €2.70

-83.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$7.41 €6.62

-75.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$5.68 €5.07

-60.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.52 €1.36

28.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$2.38 €2.13

-39.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.54 €2.26

-59.84%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$5.24 €4.68

-60.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$16.95 €15.13

-42.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$13.41 €11.97

-65.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$23.00 €20.53

-66.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.75 €2.45

20.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.83 €2.52

-48.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.63 €2.35

-10.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$3.87 €3.45

-60.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.39 €2.13

-1.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.71 €1.53

16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.43 €1.28

-19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.78 €1.59

-62.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$14.48 €12.92

-79.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$9.21 €8.22

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.78 €1.59

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.53 €2.26

-31.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$3.72 €3.32

-93.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$116 €104

-89.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$4.70 €4.19

-84.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$3.40 €3.04

-93.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$38.74 €34.57

-88.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.61 €2.33

-49.04%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$41.7K €37.2K

-47.77%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$38.2K €34.1K

-49.16%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$298 €266

-59.52%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$22.98 €20.51

-37.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$53.0 €47.26

-46.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$60.4 €53.9

-45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$35.40 €31.59

-81.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$16.86 €15.05

-67.62%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$2,764 €2,466

-90.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$17.1K €15.3K

-52.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$93.3 €83.2

-46.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$41.20 €36.77

-39.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$100 €89.3

-23.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$133 €119

-55.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$2,605 €2,325

-80.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,927 €1,720

-83.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$3,903 €3,483

-73.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$3,115 €2,780

-80.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$10.3K €9,201

-71.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$6,540 €5,836

-71.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$4,524 €4,038

-92.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.27

120.18%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Amsterdam

$1.9K 55.8% 523% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Amsterdam

$388 11.2% 84.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Amsterdam

$374 10.8% 129% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Amsterdam

$165 4.8% 74.8% $71

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Amsterdam

$356 10.3% 303% $267

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Amsterdam

$94 2.7% 116% $51

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Amsterdam

$153 4.4% 890% $137

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Cebu versus $2,605 in Amsterdam. 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 1226% higher in Amsterdam, 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 $23.00 in Cebu versus $91.0 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $388 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

12:24 12:24 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

881,933 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Amsterdam 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 275%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu and $5,255 in Amsterdam. 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 819% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Cebu and $2,764 in Amsterdam. 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 $934, than in Amsterdam at $3,504. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cebu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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