Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Brighton

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,889 in Brighton, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Brighton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,889
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Brighton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $2,889 in Brighton.

  • Cebu $934
  • Brighton $2,889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $4,135 in Brighton.

  • Cebu $1,415
  • Brighton $4,135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $5,380 in Brighton.

  • Cebu $1,896
  • Brighton $5,380

Living in Cebu costs roughly 68% less than in Brighton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Brighton is 116% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ₱190
$25.56 £19.31
-88.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48 ₱1,473
$95.3 £72.0
-75.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.09 ₱256
$9.81 £7.41
-58.31%
Cappuccino
$2.52 ₱158
$5.10 £3.85
-50.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱96.9
$3.85 £2.91
-60.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.98
$3.27 £2.47
-85.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.79 ₱112
$8.61 £6.50
-79.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₱142
$8.99 £6.79
-74.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱122
$1.95 £1.47
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ₱89.7
$2.02 £1.53
-29.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ₱63.8
$2.13 £1.61
-52.11%
Eggs
$2.06 ₱129
$4.43 £3.35
-53.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 ₱615
$11.71 £8.85
-16.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.61 ₱289
$9.37 £7.08
-50.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.70 ₱483
$14.98 £11.32
-48.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱207
$2.90 £2.19
14.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ₱90.9
$1.98 £1.50
-26.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$2.87 £2.17
-17.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ₱96.4
$3.75 £2.84
-58.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$2.19 £1.65
7.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 ₱125
$1.80 £1.36
10.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ₱72.1
$1.19 £0.90
-3.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.15
$1.68 £1.27
-60.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱188
$23.01 £17.39
-86.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱398
$10.86 £8.20
-41.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₱81.9
$2.92 £2.21
-55.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱108
$3.24 £2.45
-46.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.78
$4.01 £3.03
-93.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.65 ₱793
$132 £99.6
-90.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.32
$4.99 £3.77
-85.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.11
$2.72 £2.05
-92.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.33 ₱271
$38.98 £29.46
-88.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₱83.5
$2.05 £1.55
-35.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₱1.4M
$38.6K £29.1K
-43.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$40.8K £30.9K
-52.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ₱7,563
$287 £217
-57.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45 ₱907
$16.77 £12.67
-13.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29 ₱1,774
$44.44 £33.58
-36.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.68 ₱2,050
$49.65 £37.52
-34.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39 ₱401
$27.16 £20.52
-76.47%
Cinema Ticket
$5.46 ₱342
$17.28 £13.06
-68.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 ₱17.1K
$2,057 £1,554
-86.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,156 ₱511.5K
$30.8K £23.3K
-73.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57 ₱3,109
$91.7 £69.3
-45.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87 ₱1,560
$44.81 £33.86
-44.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,804
$104 £78.7
-26.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3 ₱3,717
$90.8 £68.7
-34.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 ₱31.7K
$1,846 £1,395
-72.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$1,468 £1,109
-78.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 ₱66.0K
$2,791 £2,109
-62.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$619 ₱38.8K
$2,257 £1,706
-72.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,915 ₱182.9K
$8,443 £6,380
-65.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,867 ₱117.1K
$6,228 £4,706
-70.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Brighton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 ₱21.4K
$3,423 £2,587
-90.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
5.12
40.63%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brighton: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Brighton
$1.5K 374% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Brighton
$327 55.6% $117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
Brighton
$348 113% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95
Brighton
$149 57.7% $55
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Brighton
$385 335% $296
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Brighton
$84 93.2% $41
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Brighton
$166 978% $151

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $1,846 in Brighton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 904% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $95.0 in Brighton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $327 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇬🇧 Brighton
🕒 Local time
12:53 12:53 PM
05:53 5:53 AM
7 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
256,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Brighton 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Brighton

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 Brighton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cebu and in Brighton?
Cebu and Brighton differ by about 209% in total monthly costs ($934 vs $2,889 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 904% lower in Brighton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Cebu and in Brighton?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $1,846 in Brighton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cebu and Brighton?
Childcare runs $273 in Cebu versus $2,057 in Brighton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $934 in Cebu versus $2,889 in Brighton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Brighton. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Brighton?
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.
Is Cebu or Brighton safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Brighton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Cebu or Brighton?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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