Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Barnet

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,870 in Barnet, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Barnet
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,870
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Barnet

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $2,870 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Cebu $918
  • Barnet $2,870

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $4,261 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Barnet $4,261

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $5,652 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Barnet $5,652

Cebu is about 68% cheaper than Barnet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Barnet is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$22.85 £17.14
-86.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$90.7 £68.1
-73.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$10.61 £7.96
-63.05%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$5.47 £4.11
-54.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$2.90 £2.18
-45.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$1.93 £1.44
-72.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$7.75 £5.81
-77.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$6.59 £4.95
-67.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.62 £1.22
18.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.70 £1.28
-20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$2.47 £1.85
-59.11%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$4.83 £3.62
-57.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$11.57 £8.68
-14.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$10.56 £7.92
-58.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$16.86 £12.65
-54.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.90 £2.17
13.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.75 £1.31
-20.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$3.05 £2.29
-23.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$3.53 £2.65
-57.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.83 £1.37
28.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.85 £1.39
2.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.22 £0.92
-2.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$1.81 £1.36
-65.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$23.78 £17.84
-87.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$11.66 £8.75
-48.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$3.25 £2.44
-62.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$4.52 £3.39
-61.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$2.28 £1.71
-89.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$5.39 £4.05
-85.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$2.69 £2.02
-91.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$49.27 £36.96
-90.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$2.14 £1.60
-38.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$37.5K £28.1K
-43.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$41.0K £30.7K
-53.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$340 £255
-64.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$18.10 £13.58
-22.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$41.24 £30.94
-33.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$17.01 £12.76
-66.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$2,583 £1,938
-89.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$34.8K £26.1K
-77.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$89.8 £67.4
-45.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$47.85 £35.90
-47.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$93.3 £70.0
-17.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$126 £94.4
-54.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$1,947 £1,461
-74.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$1,557 £1,168
-80.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$3,311 £2,484
-67.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$2,802 £2,102
-78.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$14.3K £10.7K
-79.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$13.9K £10.5K
-86.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Barnet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$2,612 £1,959
-86.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
4.74
51.90%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barnet: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Barnet
$1.6K 404% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Barnet
$340 65.1% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Barnet
$399 147% $237
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Barnet
$161 70.9% $67
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Barnet
$352 298% $263
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Barnet
$34 * 22% $9.6
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Barnet
$28 * 79.7% $12

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 $1,947 in Barnet. 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 655% higher in Barnet, 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 $91.0 in Barnet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $340 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇬🇧 Barnet
🕒 Local time
23:53 11:53 PM
16:53 4:53 PM
7 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
111,973
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Barnet 11,300 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Barnet

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 Barnet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barnet cheaper than Cebu?
Yes – Barnet is pricier by about 213%, 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 $4,305 in Barnet. 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.
Is eating out cheaper in Cebu or in Barnet?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $91.0 in Barnet. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Barnet?
Groceries cost about 65% more in Barnet, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Barnet?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Barnet at $2,870. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barnet it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cebu or Barnet 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 Barnet?
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, Barnet makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Cebu vs other spots: cost of living compared

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