Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Barcelos

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,190 in Barcelos, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Barcelos
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Barcelos Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Barcelos

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Barcelos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,190 in Barcelos.

Cebu $918
Barcelos $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,885 in Barcelos.

Cebu $1,409
Barcelos $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,579 in Barcelos.

Cebu $1,900
Barcelos $2,579

Living in Cebu costs roughly 23% less than in Barcelos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Barcelos 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.09 €9.86

-72.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$48.16 €42.84

-49.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$8.85 €7.87

-55.71%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.84 €1.63

36.41%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.93 €1.72

-17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.32 €1.18

-59.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.37 €3.00

-47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.84 €2.52

-23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.11 €0.99

72.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.85 €1.65

-26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.79 €1.59

-43.58%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.30 €2.94

-38.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.93 €10.61

-17.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.04 €7.15

-45.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$14.83 €13.19

-48.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.98 €1.76

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.37 €1.22

1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.86 €1.65

25.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.52 €2.25

-40.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.72 €1.53

37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.84 €1.63

3.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.54 €1.37

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.97 €0.87

-35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.56 €5.84

-54.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.58 €4.08

31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.19 €1.05

3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.20 €1.95

-20.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$2.29 €2.03

-89.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$22.15 €19.70

-42.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$4.27 €3.80

-81.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.43 €1.27

-83.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$16.25 €14.46

-72.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.15 €1.91

-39.07%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$33.2K €29.5K

-36.00%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$37.8K €33.7K

-49.40%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$111 €98.8

8.27%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.73 €15.77

-21.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$44.28 €39.39

-37.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$38.52 €34.27

-16.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$6.57 €5.84

1.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.12 €8.11

-38.05%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$339 €302

-18.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$6,374 €5,670

24.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$72.5 €64.5

-31.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$37.75 €33.58

-33.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$78.7 €70.0

-2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$105 €93.4

-45.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$494 €439

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$357 €318

-13.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$895 €796

20.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$696 €619

-11.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,651 €2,358

8.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,510 €1,343

26.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,072 €954

-67.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.7

94.59%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Barcelos

$357 30% 15.7% $48

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Barcelos

$255 21.4% 23.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Barcelos

$173 14.6% 7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Barcelos

$132 11.1% 40.8% $38

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Barcelos

$173 14.5% 95.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Barcelos

$57 4.8% 30.1% $13

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Barcelos

$43 3.6% 174% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $494 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 210% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $48.00 in Barcelos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $255 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇹 Barcelos

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

21:39 9:39 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

116,766

💱 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 = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 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

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Barcelos 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Barcelos

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 Barcelos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 210% lower in Barcelos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $494 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Barcelos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $48.00 in Barcelos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,190 in Barcelos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Barcelos. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Barcelos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Barcelos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Barcelos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.