Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Balaghat

For one person, living is cheaper in Balaghat: $352 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Balaghat
Learn more

Balaghat Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Balaghat

🇮🇳 India

$352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Balaghat

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $352 in Balaghat, rent included.

Cebu $918
Balaghat $352

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $558 in Balaghat, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Balaghat $558

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $763 in Balaghat, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Balaghat $763

Cebu costs about 160% more than Balaghat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Balaghat are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Balaghat 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.27 ₹216

36.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$10.67 ₹1,013

126.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.88 ₹369

1.03%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.51 ₹143

66.23%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.42 ₹40.36

278.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.13 ₹11.98

307.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.77 ₹168

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.79 ₹265

-22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.62 ₹59.1

209.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.44 ₹41.51

209.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.65 ₹61.5

55.38%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$0.91 ₹86.6

123.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.45 ₹423

121.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.75 ₹261

59.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.83 ₹174

80.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.64 ₹60.5

117.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.94 ₹89.2

147.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.48 ₹45.54

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.35 ₹32.77

574.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.36 ₹34.42

427.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.40 ₹37.75

197.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.29 ₹27.07

117.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.75 ₹451

-36.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$6.79 ₹645

-11.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.50 ₹143

-18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.70 ₹257

-35.19%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.93 ₹468

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.25 ₹23.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$7.23 ₹687

74.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.92 ₹86.9

-16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.28 ₹26.74

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$1.63 ₹155

173.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.11 ₹105

18.02%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

90.43%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.5K ₹1.8M

3.32%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$34.85 ₹3,309

244.99%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$3.24 ₹307

332.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$6.72 ₹638

309.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$13.99 ₹1,328

131.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$7.04 ₹669

-5.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.17 ₹301

78.23%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$41.15 ₹3,908

569.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,338 ₹127.0K

492.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$19.66 ₹1,867

150.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$26.66 ₹2,531

-5.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$36.43 ₹3,459

111.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$27.29 ₹2,591

109.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$120 ₹11.4K

315.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$66.4 ₹6,308

364.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$254 ₹24.1K

325.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$149 ₹14.2K

312.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$917 ₹87.1K

214.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$574 ₹54.5K

233.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.86

-18.74%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Balaghat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Balaghat

$66 18.9% 78.5% $242

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Balaghat

$96 27.3% 53.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Balaghat

$45 12.7% 72.3% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Balaghat

$50 14.1% 47.3% $44

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Balaghat

$65 18.3% 26.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Balaghat

$20 5.8% 53.4% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Balaghat

$11 3% 32.2% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $120 in Balaghat. 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 $24.00 in Cebu versus $11.00 in Balaghat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $96.0 – making Balaghat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇳 Balaghat

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

13:05 1:05 PM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

84,261

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Balaghat 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Balaghat

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 Balaghat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu costs about 160% more than Balaghat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $529 in Balaghat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balaghat, 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 $41.15 in Balaghat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 114% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $352 in Balaghat, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Balaghat costs $352 versus $918 in Cebu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Balaghat. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.