Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bhaktapur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhaktapur: $294 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Bhaktapur
Learn more

Bhaktapur Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Bhaktapur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bhaktapur

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $294 in Bhaktapur, rent included.

Cebu $918
Bhaktapur $294

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $492 in Bhaktapur, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Bhaktapur $492

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $691 in Bhaktapur, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Bhaktapur $691

Cebu costs about 213% more than Bhaktapur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Bhaktapur are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Bhaktapur 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.94 NPR 295

59.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$20.29 NPR 3,083

19.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.23 NPR 491

21.36%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$0.88 NPR 134

185.23%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.50 NPR 76.1

218.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.13 NPR 20.17

307.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.64 NPR 250

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.62 NPR 245

33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.69 NPR 104

178.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.48 NPR 73.0

183.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.87 NPR 132

16.09%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.74 NPR 264

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.34 NPR 508

195.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.05 NPR 464

43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$5.86 NPR 891

29.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.99 NPR 302

65.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.14 NPR 174

21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.33 NPR 202

75.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.54 NPR 82.4

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.39 NPR 59.1

505.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.50 NPR 76.6

280.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.38 NPR 57.0

213.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.19 NPR 28.64

231.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.44 NPR 371

22.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$5.69 NPR 865

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.28 NPR 347

-46.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.64 NPR 250

6.71%

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

$1.74 NPR 264

-55.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.14 NPR 173

-79.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.36 NPR 510

32.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.33 NPR 202

-1.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.1K NPR 4.4M

-26.91%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

-46.30%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$31.29 NPR 4,755

284.24%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$3.46 NPR 525

304.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$9.25 NPR 1,405

197.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.00 NPR 455

88.33%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$65.1 NPR 9,895

322.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,556 NPR 844.2K

42.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$25.05 NPR 3,807

96.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$26.38 NPR 4,008

-4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$63.3 NPR 9,624

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$28.55 NPR 4,338

100.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.72

-25.93%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bhaktapur: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Bhaktapur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Bhaktapur

$122 41.5% 40.8% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Bhaktapur

$44 15% 72.8% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Bhaktapur

$64 22% 31.3% $29

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bhaktapur

$50 17% 43.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Bhaktapur

$6 * 2% 86.3% $38

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Bhaktapur

$7.4 * 2.5% 52.2% $8.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $20.00 in Bhaktapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $122 – making Bhaktapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇵 Bhaktapur

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

00:40 12:40 AM

2 h 15 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR 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).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Bhaktapur 4,460 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bhaktapur

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 Bhaktapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 213%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $440 in Bhaktapur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $294 in Bhaktapur. That's a gap of about 213%.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $65.1 in Bhaktapur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $294 in Bhaktapur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhaktapur – 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 Bhaktapur. 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.