For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $3,825 in Baden, rent and utilities included – about $34,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Baden actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $3,825 in Baden, rent included.
Cebu $918
Baden $3,825
A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $5,558 in Baden, rent included.
Cebu $1,409
Baden $5,558
A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $7,291 in Baden, rent included.
Cebu $1,900
Baden $7,291
🙂
Cebu is about 76% cheaper than Baden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Baden is 183% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱195
$34.26CHF 28.22
-90.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$124CHF 102
-80.51%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$17.62CHF 14.51
-77.75%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$6.10CHF 5.03
-58.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$5.87CHF 4.84
-72.91%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.45
$5.18CHF 4.26
-89.77%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$9.41CHF 7.75
-81.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$8.44CHF 6.95
-74.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$2.20CHF 1.81
-12.73%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.5
$3.28CHF 2.70
-58.54%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.6
$3.85CHF 3.17
-73.77%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$7.93CHF 6.53
-74.40%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$27.14CHF 22.35
-63.67%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$28.23CHF 23.25
-84.45%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$47.66CHF 39.26
-84.05%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$3.99CHF 3.28
-17.29%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.71CHF 2.23
-48.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$3.03CHF 2.49
-23.10%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$4.68CHF 3.85
-67.95%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$2.49CHF 2.05
-5.22%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$2.17CHF 1.78
-12.44%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$2.43CHF 2.00
-51.03%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.73
$1.26CHF 1.04
-50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$10.86CHF 8.95
-72.38%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱380
$12.03CHF 9.91
-49.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$2.44CHF 2.01
-49.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.93CHF 2.41
-40.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Baden
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.87
$3.56CHF 2.94
-92.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$106CHF 87.4
-88.09%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.64
$7.93CHF 6.53
-90.29%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.54
$4.63CHF 3.81
-95.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$88.1CHF 72.5
-94.94%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$2.37CHF 1.96
-44.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$40.4KCHF 33.3K
-47.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$39.5KCHF 32.5K
-51.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,573
$278CHF 229
-56.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$46.12CHF 37.99
-69.64%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,735
$64.0CHF 52.7
-56.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,036
$154CHF 127
-79.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$48.23CHF 39.72
-86.21%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$23.12CHF 19.04
-75.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$3,492CHF 2,876
-92.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.8K
$32.6KCHF 26.9K
-75.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,107
$143CHF 118
-65.48%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,590
$77.9CHF 64.2
-67.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,848
$163CHF 134
-52.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,603
$194CHF 160
-70.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Baden
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$2,004CHF 1,651
-75.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.5K
$1,699CHF 1,399
-81.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$3,310CHF 2,726
-67.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.8K
$2,391CHF 1,969
-74.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.8K
$17.0KCHF 14.0K
-83.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$13.2KCHF 10.9K
-85.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Baden
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$8,919CHF 7,346
-96.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
2.42
197.52%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Baden: 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%
Baden
$1.7K 44.4% ↑ 450%$1.4K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Baden
$618 16.2% ↑ 200%$412
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Baden
$388 10.2% ↑ 140%$227
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Baden
$260 6.8% ↑ 177%$166
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Baden
$508 13.3% ↑ 476%$420
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Baden
$201 5.2% ↑ 360%$157
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Baden
$151 4% ↑ 873%$136
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Baden
$2.4K 32.8% ↑ 289%$1.8K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Baden
$1.5K 20.3% ↑ 207%$998
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Baden
$434 6% ↑ 147%$259
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Baden
$578 7.9% ↑ 177%$369
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Baden
$1.6K 22.6% ↑ 464%$1.4K
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Baden
$449 6.2% ↑ 379%$355
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Baden
$310 4.3% ↑ 880%$278
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $2,004 in Baden. 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 2478% higher in Baden, 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 $124 in Baden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $618 – 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 Baden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baden cheaper than Cebu?
Yes – Baden is pricier by about 317%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $5,738 in Baden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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 do food prices compare in Cebu and in Baden?
Groceries cost about 200% more in Baden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Cebu or in Baden?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $124 in Baden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Baden?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Baden at $3,825. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cebu or Baden more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Baden?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.