Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Arta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,356 in Arta, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Arta
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Arta Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Arta

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Arta

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $1,356 in Arta, rent included.

Cebu $918
Arta $1,356

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $2,017 in Arta, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Arta $2,017

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $2,678 in Arta, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Arta $2,678

Cebu is about 32% cheaper than Arta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Arta is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.26 €10.00

-72.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,524

$44.58 €39.59

-45.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱246

$9.88 €8.78

-60.32%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.08 €3.63

-38.48%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.91 €2.59

-45.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.42

$0.58 €0.52

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.35 €4.75

-66.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.32 €5.62

-65.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.25 €1.11

53.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.09 €0.97

24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.93 €0.82

8.60%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.36 €2.99

-39.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.49 €11.98

-26.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱276

$11.37 €10.10

-61.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱478

$11.11 €9.86

-31.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.02 €0.91

223.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.7

$1.24 €1.10

12.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.26 €1.11

84.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.2

$1.02 €0.91

47.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.24 €1.11

90.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.10 €0.98

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.75 €0.67

58.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.69

$0.19 €0.17

231.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.00 €4.44

-40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.39 €3.90

37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.6

$0.92 €0.82

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.21 €1.96

-20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.85

$1.22 €1.08

-79.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱795

$49.83 €44.26

-74.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.59

$4.09 €3.63

-81.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.52

$1.09 €0.97

-78.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱280

$16.83 €14.95

-73.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.00 €1.78

-34.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$28.2K €25.0K

-24.62%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$31.1K €27.7K

-38.51%

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

$120 ₱7,566

$214 €190

-43.75%

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

$14.00 ₱881

$22.88 €20.32

-38.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,733

$24.68 €21.92

11.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,034

$46.74 €41.51

-30.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱418

$25.30 €22.47

-73.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱355

$10.15 €9.01

-44.33%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$481 €427

-42.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.3K

$9,156 €8,131

-13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,105

$90.1 €80.0

-45.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$27.47 €24.40

-8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,844

$77.9 €69.2

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,600

$90.8 €80.6

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.4K

$479 €425

4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$389 €346

-20.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.8K

$741 €658

45.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$622 €553

-1.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.6K

$2,655 €2,358

8.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.6K

$1,922 €1,707

-0.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$892 €792

-61.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.34

34.83%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Arta

$389 28.7% 26% $80

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Arta

$223 16.5% 8.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Arta

$261 19.3% 61.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Arta

$129 9.5% 37.1% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Arta

$222 16.4% 152% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Arta

$67 4.9% 53.7% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Arta

$64 4.7% 313% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $479 in Arta. 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 158% higher in Arta, 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 $45.00 in Arta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $223 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇬🇷 Arta

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

16:32 4:32 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

19,435

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 62.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.59 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Arta 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Arta

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 Arta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Arta is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $2,033 in Arta. 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.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $481 in Arta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Arta, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Arta at $1,356. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arta 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, Arta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.