Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Best

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,217 in Best, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Best
Learn more

Best Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Best

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $2,217 in Best, rent included.

Cebu $934
Best $2,217

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Cebu vs $3,095 in Best, rent included.

Cebu $1,415
Best $3,095

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Cebu vs $3,973 in Best, rent included.

Cebu $1,896
Best $3,973

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

Cebu sits 30% below the global median, while Best is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$22.31 €19.91

-86.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$86.5 €77.2

-72.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$12.25 €10.94

-66.61%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$3.65 €3.26

-30.96%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$3.26 €2.91

-52.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$2.48 €2.21

-80.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$5.77 €5.15

-68.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.90 €4.37

-53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.13 €1.01

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.89 €1.69

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.22 €1.98

-54.05%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.12 €2.79

-33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$11.28 €10.07

-13.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$11.49 €10.26

-59.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$14.84 €13.24

-48.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.01 €1.80

64.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.60 €1.43

-9.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.73 €1.54

36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$4.95 €4.41

-68.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.17 €1.04

101.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.19 €1.06

67.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.11 €0.99

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.71 €0.63

-5.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$11.21 €10.01

-73.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$5.55 €4.95

14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.51 €1.34

-13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.50 €2.23

-30.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$2.48 €2.22

-89.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$70.9 €63.3

-82.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$3.94 €3.52

-81.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.89 €2.57

-92.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$29.72 €26.52

-85.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.35 €2.09

-43.40%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$25.6K €22.9K

-15.12%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.0K €30.3K

-42.91%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$185 €165

-34.85%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$14.56 €12.99

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$37.61 €33.56

-24.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$40.32 €35.98

-18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$25.33 €22.60

-74.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$13.97 €12.47

-60.92%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$1,298 €1,158

-78.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$5,115 €4,564

59.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$51.7 €46.13

-4.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$32.89 €29.35

-24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$74.5 €66.5

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$57.9 €51.7

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,544 €1,378

-67.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,100 €982

-71.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,975 €1,763

-46.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,352 €1,206

-54.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$5,221 €4,659

-44.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$4,354 €3,886

-57.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$4,077 €3,639

-91.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.54

103.39%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Best: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Best

$1.1K 49.9% 256% $791

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Best

$281 12.8% 33.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Best

$237 10.8% 45.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Best

$98 4.4% 3.2% $3

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Best

$321 14.6% 263% $232

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Best

$68 3.1% 56.6% $25

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Best

$99 4.5% 542% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Cebu versus $1,544 in Best. 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 1095% higher in Best, 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 $23.00 in Cebu versus $86.0 in Best. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $281 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇱 Best

🕒 Local time

20:34 8:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

29,988

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Best 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Best

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 Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Best is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu and $3,325 in Best. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $934 in Cebu and $2,217 in Best. That's a gap of about 137%.

Public transport costs about 460% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Best at $2,217. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Best it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Best makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.