Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Benoni

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,072 in Benoni, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Benoni
Learn more

Benoni Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Benoni

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Benoni

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,072 in Benoni.

Cebu $918
Benoni $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,331 in Benoni.

Cebu $1,409
Benoni $1,331

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,589 in Benoni.

Cebu $1,900
Benoni $1,589

Living in Cebu costs roughly 14% less than in Benoni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Benoni 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$10.19 R 168

-69.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$37.46 R 617

-35.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.86 R 96.5

-33.11%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.22 R 36.61

13.06%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.19 R 19.64

33.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.85 R 14.00

-37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.33 R 38.33

-23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.74 R 45.15

-20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.22 R 20.16

57.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.13 R 18.65

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.72 R 28.33

-41.28%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.46 R 40.48

-17.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.31 R 137

18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.86 R 80.1

-9.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.12 R 117

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.73 R 28.55

90.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.63 R 26.81

-14.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.80 R 29.58

29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.56 R 25.70

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.12 R 18.39

110.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.22 R 20.10

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.23 R 20.29

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.27 R 20.97

-50.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.37 R 55.5

-10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$5.09 R 83.8

18.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.51 R 24.94

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.95 R 32.14

-10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.29 R 4.72

165.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.89 R 14.67

-74.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$14.73 R 243

-69.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.54 R 25.41

-14.94%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$35.1K R 578.8K

-39.53%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.5K R 534.9K

-41.03%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$203 R 3,342

-40.73%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$38.42 R 633

-63.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$36.63 R 604

-24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$18.06 R 297

79.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.10 R 117

-20.42%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$246 R 4,051

11.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,577 R 91.9K

41.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$53.5 R 882

-7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$32.40 R 534

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$91.9 R 1,515

-16.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$84.8 R 1,397

-32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$398 R 6,557

25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$296 R 4,881

4.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$487 R 8,029

121.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$2,041 R 33.6K

-83.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.91

-34.01%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Benoni: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Benoni

$296 27.6% 4.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Benoni

$192 17.9% 6.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Benoni

$278 25.9% 71.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Benoni

$118 11% 25.8% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Benoni

$151 14.1% 71.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Benoni

$32 3% 26% $11

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Benoni

$4.7 * 0.4% 69.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $398 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 490% 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 $37.00 in Benoni. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $192, with Benoni cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇦 Benoni

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

11:05 11:05 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

158,777

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Benoni 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Benoni

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 Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu and Benoni differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $1,072 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 490% lower in Benoni. 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 $398 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Benoni pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,072 in Benoni – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Benoni 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 17% less than in Benoni. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.