Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,192 in Ballina, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $2,192 in Ballina, rent included.

Cebu $918
Ballina $2,192

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $3,211 in Ballina, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Ballina $3,211

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $4,229 in Ballina, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Ballina $4,229

Cebu is about 58% cheaper than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Ballina is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$16.75 €14.90

-81.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$66.4 €59.0

-63.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$12.10 €10.77

-67.60%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.80 €3.38

-33.95%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.55 €1.38

2.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$1.32 €1.17

-59.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.51 €4.90

-67.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.40 €6.59

-70.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.67 €1.48

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$2.19 €1.95

-37.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.87 €1.67

-45.99%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.11 €2.77

-34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.75 €12.23

-28.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$13.11 €11.66

-66.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$16.77 €14.91

-54.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.32 €2.96

-0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.60 €1.42

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.27 €2.90

-28.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.63 €4.12

-67.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.24 €1.99

5.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.81 €1.61

4.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.46 €1.30

-18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$2.19 €1.94

-71.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$19.86 €17.66

-84.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$10.20 €9.08

-40.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$4.06 €3.61

-69.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.50 €3.11

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$5.44 €4.84

-95.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$136 €121

-90.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$5.18 €4.61

-85.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.54 €1.37

-85.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$33.24 €29.56

-86.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.03 €1.80

-35.47%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$34.8K €31.0K

-39.04%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$37.6K €33.4K

-49.02%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$236 €210

-48.99%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$21.77 €19.36

-35.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$39.50 €35.13

-30.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$51.3 €45.66

-37.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$11.25 €10.01

-40.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$12.37 €11.00

-54.32%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$1,092 €971

-74.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$5,251 €4,670

50.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$95.2 €84.7

-48.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$42.04 €37.39

-39.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$108 €96.4

-28.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$111 €98.9

-48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$875 €778

-42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$849 €755

-63.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,318 €1,172

-18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$1,321 €1,175

-53.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$3,411 €3,033

-15.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,758 €2,453

-30.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,216 €2,860

-89.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.14

73.91%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Ballina

$849 38.8% 175% $540

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Ballina

$368 16.8% 78.9% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Ballina

$297 13.6% 83.6% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Ballina

$161 7.3% 70.9% $67

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Ballina

$270 12.3% 206% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Ballina

$76 3.5% 74.4% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Ballina

$171 7.8% 998% $155

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $875 in Ballina. 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 830% higher in Ballina, 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 $66.0 in Ballina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $368 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇪 Ballina

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

19:10 7:10 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

10,556

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Ballina 11,610 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballina costs about 139% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,288 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 979% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $1,092 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Ballina at $2,192. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $918 versus $2,192 in Ballina. 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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ballina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.