For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,244 in Atsugi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Atsugi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,244 in Atsugi.
Cebu $918
Atsugi $1,244
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,157 in Atsugi.
Cebu $1,409
Atsugi $2,157
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,070 in Atsugi.
Cebu $1,900
Atsugi $3,070
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 26% less than in Atsugi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Atsugi8% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$7.93¥1,252
-61.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$25.65¥4,052
-5.58%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$4.95¥782
-20.81%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$1.90¥301
32.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.93¥147
70.97%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.68¥107
-22.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$2.72¥429
-34.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$3.07¥484
-29.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.51¥238
27.15%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$1.48¥233
-8.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$4.05¥640
-75.06%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$2.08¥328
-2.40%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$15.93¥2,517
-38.10%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$4.48¥708
-2.01%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$12.30¥1,943
-38.21%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$5.30¥838
-37.74%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$1.98¥312
-29.80%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$3.80¥601
-38.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$2.70¥426
-44.44%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$2.64¥417
-10.61%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.92¥304
-1.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.16¥184
2.59%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.90¥142
-30.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$3.52¥557
-14.77%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$9.35¥1,477
-35.51%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.61¥255
-23.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.15¥340
-18.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$2.61¥412
-90.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$52.4¥8,275
-75.87%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$3.11¥491
-75.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$2.81¥445
-91.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$9.62¥1,520
-53.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.05¥166
24.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$12.7K¥2.0M
67.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$15.3K¥2.4M
25.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$230¥36.3K
-47.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$14.11¥2,230
-0.78%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$30.54¥4,825
-9.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$51.6¥8,147
-37.31%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$7.46¥1,179
-10.86%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$11.56¥1,827
-51.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$321¥50.7K
-14.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$6,085¥961.3K
30.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$40.67¥6,425
21.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$24.20¥3,824
4.30%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$53.4¥8,433
44.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$31.98¥5,053
78.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$523¥82.6K
-4.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$334¥52.7K
-7.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$1,090¥172.2K
-1.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$1,260¥199.1K
-51.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$3,945¥623.3K
-26.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$1,794¥283.4K
6.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Atsugi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$3,774¥596.3K
-90.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
2.02
256.44%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Atsugi: October 11, 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%
Atsugi
$334 26.8% ↑ 8.1%$25
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Atsugi
$287 23.1% ↑ 39.3%$81
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Atsugi
$274 22.1% ↑ 69.6%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Atsugi
$68 5.4% ↓ 28%$26
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Atsugi
$127 10.2% ↑ 44.2%$39
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Atsugi
$75 6% ↑ 71.2%$31
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Atsugi
$80 6.4% ↑ 414%$64
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Atsugi
$1.3K 41% ↑ 105%$645
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Atsugi
$664 21.6% ↑ 37.6%$182
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Atsugi
$288 9.4% ↑ 64.1%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Atsugi
$150 4.9% ↓ 28%$59
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Atsugi
$385 12.5% ↑ 31.8%$93
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Atsugi
$157 5.1% ↑ 67.1%$63
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Atsugi
$165 5.4% ↑ 422%$134
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $523 in Atsugi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Atsugi pays 991% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $26.00 in Atsugi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $287 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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 Atsugi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cebu and in Atsugi?
Cebu and Atsugi differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $1,244 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 991% lower in Atsugi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Cebu and in Atsugi?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $523 in Atsugi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $26.00 in Atsugi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cebu or Atsugi?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,244 in Atsugi – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,244 in Atsugi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Atsugi. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Atsugi?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Cebu or Atsugi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Atsugi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Cebu or Atsugi?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Atsugi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.