Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bacong

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacong: $618 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Bacong
Learn more

Bacong Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Bacong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bacong

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Cebu vs $618 in Bacong, rent included.

Cebu $943
Bacong $618

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Cebu vs $983 in Bacong, rent included.

Cebu $1,437
Bacong $983

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Cebu vs $1,348 in Bacong, rent included.

Cebu $1,930
Bacong $1,348

Cebu costs about 53% more than Bacong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cebu and Bacong are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 30% lower, Bacong 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱247

$2.71 ₱172

43.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,476

$18.54 ₱1,179

25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱248

$3.15 ₱200

23.81%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱163

$2.08 ₱132

23.08%

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

$1.60 ₱102

$0.67 ₱42.88

138.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.35

$0.33 ₱21.29

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱112

$0.84 ₱53.3

109.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱137

$1.70 ₱108

26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.64 ₱105

21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱87.1

$1.17 ₱74.4

17.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.4

$0.87 ₱55.6

9.20%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱128

$1.95 ₱124

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱612

$5.81 ₱369

65.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱277

$4.09 ₱260

6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱490

$5.93 ₱377

29.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱210

$3.27 ₱208

0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$1.01 ₱64.5

25.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$3.01 ₱192

-22.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.3

$1.42 ₱90.3

6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱142

$2.36 ₱150

-5.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.76 ₱175

-30.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.2

$1.44 ₱91.7

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱41.33

$0.74 ₱47.25

-12.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱184

$3.02 ₱192

-4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱404

$6.11 ₱389

3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.08 ₱68.6

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱104

$1.26 ₱80.2

30.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.56

$0.24 ₱15.30

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱778

$12.37 ₱787

-1.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.0

$0.80 ₱50.8

2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$0.35 ₱22.26

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱275

$2.40 ₱153

80.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$0.90 ₱57.3

53.33%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-0.20%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.07%

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

$124 ₱7,893

$49.80 ₱3,166

149.28%

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

$15.93 ₱1,013

$9.22 ₱586

72.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,785

$26.84 ₱1,706

4.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,124

$31.50 ₱2,003

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱407

$5.06 ₱321

26.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱372

$4.67 ₱297

25.27%

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

$271 ₱17.2K

$30.67 ₱1,950

782.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱512.4K

$7,920 ₱503.5K

1.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,072

$23.88 ₱1,518

102.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,562

$19.30 ₱1,227

27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,904

$54.1 ₱3,442

42.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,593

$23.13 ₱1,471

144.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.5K

$148 ₱9,406

234.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$169 ₱10.8K

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱63.0K

$485 ₱30.8K

104.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.9K

$355 ₱22.6K

77.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱283.5K

$2,635 ₱167.6K

69.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱192.6K

$1,104 ₱70.2K

174.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.33

-1.77%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bacong: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Bacong

$169 27.4% 47.3% $152

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Bacong

$184 29.8% 10.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Bacong

$86 13.9% 48.9% $82

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Bacong

$68 11% 28.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Bacong

$54 8.8% 41.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Bacong

$41 6.6% 9.5% $4.3

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Bacong

$16 2.6% 6.1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Cebu versus $148 in Bacong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Cebu versus $19 in Bacong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $184 – making Bacong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Bacong

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

41,207

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Bacong 130 km

From you

Cebu
Bacong

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 Bacong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Cebu and $927 in Bacong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $148 there versus $495 in Cebu.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $943 in Cebu and $618 in Bacong. That makes Bacong about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $271 per month in Cebu and $31 in Bacong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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