Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Boracay

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Boracay: $934 and $915 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
Learn more

Boracay Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Boracay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $915 in Boracay.

Cebu $934
Boracay $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,349 in Boracay.

Cebu $1,423
Boracay $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,783 in Boracay.

Cebu $1,913
Boracay $1,783

Monthly costs are close between Cebu and Boracay; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Boracay 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$5.31 ₱338

-28.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,487

$18.68 ₱1,190

24.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱251

$5.97 ₱380

-34.00%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱162

$2.32 ₱148

9.48%

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

$1.57 ₱99.9

$0.69 ₱44.00

127.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.74

$0.22 ₱13.97

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱112

$1.19 ₱75.9

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.01 ₱128

10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.93 ₱187

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱86.9

$1.27 ₱81.2

7.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.7

$0.90 ₱57.3

4.44%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.89 ₱120

5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱618

$5.04 ₱321

92.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱275

$3.89 ₱248

11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱479

$6.49 ₱413

15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.29 ₱146

44.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.3

$1.50 ₱95.7

-8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.03 ₱129

15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.1

$1.29 ₱82.0

15.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$2.19 ₱139

5.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱119

$2.14 ₱136

-12.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$0.92 ₱58.4

19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.25

$0.59 ₱37.32

6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱182

$2.29 ₱146

24.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱388

$7.61 ₱485

-20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.2

$0.90 ₱57.0

41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.97 ₱126

-12.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.95

$0.22 ₱14.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱786

$10.67 ₱680

15.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.40

$0.66 ₱42.27

12.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.24 ₱15.18

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱272

$1.76 ₱112

143.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.5

$1.10 ₱70.1

19.09%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$22.9K ₱1.5M

-9.31%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

-6.08%

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

$118 ₱7,545

$109 ₱6,916

9.10%

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

$15.76 ₱1,004

$15.54 ₱990

1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,805

$33.36 ₱2,126

-15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,099

$33.49 ₱2,134

-1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱413

$4.90 ₱312

32.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱347

$5.21 ₱332

4.61%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$141 ₱8,959

96.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱496.3K

$7,871 ₱501.5K

-1.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,070

$27.63 ₱1,761

74.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,559

$18.45 ₱1,176

32.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,797

$67.3 ₱4,286

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,697

$51.7 ₱3,295

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.4K

$248 ₱15.8K

92.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$337 ₱21.5K

-4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.4K

$489 ₱31.2K

96.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱39.9K

$589 ₱37.5K

6.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.0K

$2,586 ₱164.7K

76.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.0K

$1,129 ₱71.9K

168.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.2K

$230 ₱14.7K

44.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.92

4.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Boracay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Boracay

$337 36.8% 4.7% $15

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Boracay

$187 20.5% 8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Boracay

$157 17.2% 3.1% $5.1

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Boracay

$102 11.1% 8.2% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Boracay

$74 8.1% 19.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Boracay

$44 4.8% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Boracay

$13 1.5% 11% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $248 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $19 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $187 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

12,296

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Boracay 290 km

From you

Cebu
Boracay

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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 45% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Cebu versus $248 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $276 in Cebu versus $141 in Boracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19 versus $23 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Boracay 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 Boracay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Boracay wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.