For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $3,124 in Baerum, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities 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 Baerum actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $3,124 in Baerum, rent included.
Cebu $918
Baerum $3,124
A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $4,846 in Baerum, rent included.
Cebu $1,409
Baerum $4,846
A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $6,568 in Baerum, rent included.
Cebu $1,900
Baerum $6,568
🙂
Cebu is about 71% cheaper than Baerum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Baerum is 131% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$21.23NOK 200
-85.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$127NOK 1,192
-80.88%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$15.70NOK 148
-75.03%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$6.06NOK 57.1
-58.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$4.34NOK 40.82
-63.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$3.44NOK 32.42
-84.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$11.46NOK 108
-84.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$12.59NOK 119
-82.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$2.42NOK 22.74
-20.66%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$3.62NOK 34.04
-62.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$4.60NOK 43.27
-78.04%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$5.59NOK 52.7
-63.69%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$10.29NOK 96.9
-4.18%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$15.50NOK 146
-71.68%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$31.54NOK 297
-75.90%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.59NOK 24.37
27.41%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.03NOK 19.15
-31.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$2.14NOK 20.12
8.88%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$4.07NOK 38.35
-63.14%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.65NOK 15.50
43.03%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$2.81NOK 26.49
-32.38%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$3.02NOK 28.44
-60.60%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$2.43NOK 22.87
-74.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$19.05NOK 179
-84.25%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$16.33NOK 154
-63.07%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$3.41NOK 32.06
-63.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$4.13NOK 38.85
-57.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$4.33NOK 40.76
-94.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$11.97NOK 113
-93.57%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$1.88NOK 17.72
-87.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$69.2NOK 651
-93.55%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$2.21NOK 20.79
-40.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$28.3KNOK 266.8K
-25.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$24.7KNOK 232.1K
-22.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$335NOK 3,149
-64.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$33.08NOK 311
-57.68%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$52.5NOK 495
-47.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$51.4NOK 484
-37.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$15.97NOK 150
-64.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$233NOK 2,194
18.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$15.4KNOK 144.8K
-48.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$98.5NOK 927
-49.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$58.6NOK 551
-56.90%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$133NOK 1,248
-41.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$154NOK 1,450
-62.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$1,742NOK 16.4K
-71.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$1,511NOK 14.2K
-79.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$3,459NOK 32.6K
-68.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$2,913NOK 27.4K
-78.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$10.8KNOK 101.5K
-73.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$9,916NOK 93.3K
-80.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Baerum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$5,319NOK 50.1K
-93.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
4.6
56.52%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Baerum: October 12, 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%
Baerum
$1.5K 48.4% ↑ 389%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Baerum
$468 15% ↑ 127%$262
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Baerum
$420 13.5% ↑ 160%$258
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Baerum
$200 6.4% ↑ 113%$106
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Baerum
$403 12.9% ↑ 357%$315
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Baerum
$83 2.7% ↑ 91%$40
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Baerum
$39 * 1.2% ↑ 149%$23
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Baerum
$2.9K 44.4% ↑ 373%$2.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Baerum
$1.1K 16.4% ↑ 123%$595
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Baerum
$453 6.9% ↑ 158%$277
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Baerum
$444 6.8% ↑ 113%$235
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Baerum
$1.4K 21.7% ↑ 389%$1.1K
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Baerum
$167 * 2.5% ↑ 77.5%$73
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Baerum
$86 * 1.3% ↑ 172%$54
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $1,742 in Baerum. 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 1438% higher in Baerum, 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 $127 in Baerum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $468 – 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 Baerum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baerum cheaper than Cebu?
Yes – Baerum is pricier by about 240%, 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 $4,686 in Baerum. 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Baerum?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $3,124 in Baerum. That's a gap of about 240%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $233 in Baerum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Baerum?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Baerum at $3,124. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baerum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cebu or Baerum 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 Baerum?
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, Baerum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.