For one person, living is cheaper in Beja: $621 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
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 Beja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $621 in Beja, rent included.
Cebu $918
Beja $621
A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,066 in Beja, rent included.
Cebu $1,409
Beja $1,066
A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,512 in Beja, rent included.
Cebu $1,900
Beja $1,512
😐
Cebu costs about 48% more than Beja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both Cebu and Beja are more affordable than the global median – Cebu32% lower, Beja54% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$3.91TND 11.72
-20.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$16.43TND 49.19
47.41%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$4.65TND 13.93
-15.70%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$0.60TND 1.81
318.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.52TND 1.54
205.77%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.25TND 0.74
112.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.19TND 3.56
49.58%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$1.70TND 5.08
27.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$0.43TND 1.29
346.51%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.14TND 0.42
871.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$1.63TND 4.87
-38.04%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$1.43TND 4.29
41.96%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$8.04TND 24.07
22.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$6.44TND 19.28
-31.83%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$13.25TND 39.69
-42.64%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$1.65TND 4.94
100.00%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$4.59TND 13.73
-69.72%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$1.07TND 3.21
117.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$0.89TND 2.66
68.54%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$0.59TND 1.78
300.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.59TND 1.77
222.03%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$0.48TND 1.42
147.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.30TND 0.91
110.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$3.29TND 9.86
-8.81%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$5.05TND 15.12
19.41%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.22TND 3.65
0.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$1.35TND 4.06
29.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Beja
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.42TND 1.25
-40.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$15.10TND 45.21
-16.29%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$0.31TND 0.94
148.39%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.39TND 1.16
-41.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$4.90TND 14.68
-8.98%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$0.74TND 2.22
77.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$39.1KTND 117.1K
-45.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$35.9KTND 107.4K
-46.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$44.26TND 133
171.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$10.38TND 31.09
34.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$19.74TND 59.1
39.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$19.68TND 59.0
64.28%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$23.25TND 69.6
-71.40%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$3.39TND 10.14
66.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$60.2TND 180
357.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$1,189TND 3,560
566.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$55.8TND 167
-11.55%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$65.1TND 195
-61.23%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$111TND 333
-30.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$138TND 414
-58.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Beja
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$167TND 501
198.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$83.4TND 250
270.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$267TND 801
303.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$287TND 858
114.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$396TND 1,185
629.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$105TND 314
1726.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Beja
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$337TND 1,010
2.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
11
-34.55%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Beja: 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%
Beja
$83 13.4% ↓ 73%$225
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Beja
$186 30% ↓ 9.7%$20
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Beja
$74 12% ↓ 54%$87
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Beja
$167 26.8% ↑ 77.4%$73
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Beja
$65 10.5% ↓ 26.5%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Beja
$26 4.3% ↓ 39.4%$17
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Beja
$19 3.1% ↑ 22.1%$3.4
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Beja
$287 19% ↓ 53.4%$329
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Beja
$444 29.4% ↓ 8%$38
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Beja
$85 5.6% ↓ 51.8%$91
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Beja
$370 24.5% ↑ 77.4%$162
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Beja
$211 14% ↓ 27.7%$81
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Beja
$76 5% ↓ 18.9%$18
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Beja
$39 2.6% ↑ 22.8%$7.2
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $167 in Beja. 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 3% higher in Cebu, 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 $16.00 in Beja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $186 – making Beja 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 Beja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cebu or Beja?
Cebu costs about 48% more than Beja, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cebu and in Beja?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $931 in Beja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cebu or Beja?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Beja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Cebu compared to Beja?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Beja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Cebu and in Beja?
Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $60.2 in Beja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Cebu or in Beja?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $621 in Beja, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cebu or Beja?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beja costs $621 versus $918 in Cebu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Cebu compared to Beja?
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.
Should I move to Cebu or to Beja?
If budget matters most, go with Beja. 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.