Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Boroko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
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Boroko Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Boroko

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $883 in Boroko, rent included.

Cebu $934
Boroko $883

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Cebu vs $1,279 in Boroko, rent included.

Cebu $1,415
Boroko $1,279

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Cebu vs $1,676 in Boroko, rent included.

Cebu $1,896
Boroko $1,676

Cebu costs about 6% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Cebu and Boroko are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 30% lower, Boroko 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$7.32 PGK 32.06

-58.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$34.97 PGK 153

-32.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$5.65 PGK 24.74

-27.61%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.49 PGK 10.91

1.20%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$0.73 PGK 3.22

110.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.68 PGK 2.99

-27.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.57 PGK 11.28

-30.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.60 PGK 15.78

-37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.51 PGK 6.60

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.20 PGK 5.27

19.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$1.22 PGK 5.34

-16.39%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.69 PGK 16.19

-44.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$4.91 PGK 21.53

99.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$5.74 PGK 25.15

-19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$6.51 PGK 28.52

18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.93 PGK 17.21

-15.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$3.13 PGK 13.74

-53.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.68 PGK 11.76

-11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$2.67 PGK 11.69

-42.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.84 PGK 12.45

-16.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.85 PGK 3.75

134.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.13 PGK 4.94

1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.43 PGK 1.87

55.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.51 PGK 24.16

-45.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$4.87 PGK 21.33

30.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.13 PGK 4.95

15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.58 PGK 6.93

9.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.43 PGK 1.88

-41.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$29.80 PGK 131

-57.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$4.54 PGK 19.87

-83.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$1.36 PGK 5.96

-84.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$11.18 PGK 48.99

-61.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$0.79 PGK 3.47

68.35%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

5.67%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

11.45%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$62.5 PGK 274

92.96%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$22.96 PGK 101

-37.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$90.5 PGK 396

-68.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$42.26 PGK 185

-22.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$14.52 PGK 63.6

-55.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$6.56 PGK 28.73

-16.77%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$328 PGK 1,438

-16.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$2,247 PGK 9,848

262.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$32.17 PGK 141

54.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$13.05 PGK 57.2

90.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$45.08 PGK 198

69.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$26.83 PGK 118

120.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

-84.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$225 PGK 984

37.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

-68.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$224 PGK 982

176.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$356 PGK 1,561

-4.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-34.55%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Boroko: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Boroko

$225 25.2% 27.4% $85

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Boroko

$211 23.6% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Boroko

$176 19.7% 7.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Boroko

$53 5.9% 44.3% $42

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Boroko

$131 14.7% 48.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Boroko

$55 6.2% 27% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Boroko

$43 4.8% 178% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Cebu versus $3,311 in Boroko. 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 4% higher in Boroko, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Cebu versus $35.00 in Boroko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $211 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇬 Boroko

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

2 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Boroko 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Boroko

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 Boroko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu costs about 6% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu and $1,324 in Boroko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boroko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Cebu and $328 in Boroko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Cebu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boroko, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Cebu at $934. In Boroko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cebu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boroko costs $883 versus $934 in Cebu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Boroko. 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.