Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulacan: $638 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bulacan
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Bulacan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bulacan

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $638 in Bulacan, rent included.

Cebu $918
Bulacan $638

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $927 in Bulacan, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Bulacan $927

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,215 in Bulacan, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Bulacan $1,215

Cebu costs about 44% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Bulacan are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Bulacan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.00 ₱126

54.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$15.88 ₱1,000

52.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.71 ₱171

44.65%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.79 ₱112

40.22%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.44 ₱27.72

261.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.26 ₱16.39

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.93 ₱58.4

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.60 ₱101

35.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.61 ₱102

19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.16 ₱73.1

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.95 ₱60.1

6.32%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.79 ₱113

13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$2.80 ₱176

252.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.45 ₱217

27.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.03 ₱380

26.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.06 ₱130

60.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.56 ₱98.2

-10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.99 ₱125

17.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.04 ₱65.4

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.61 ₱101

46.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.73 ₱109

9.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.62 ₱39.14

91.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.49 ₱31.07

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.04 ₱191

-1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$3.53 ₱222

70.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.89 ₱56.3

38.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.56 ₱98.1

12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.19 ₱11.81

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$6.68 ₱421

89.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.69 ₱43.19

11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.15 ₱9.67

53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$1.87 ₱118

138.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.06 ₱66.7

23.58%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

-2.00%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$16.4K ₱1.0M

16.87%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$112 ₱7,031

7.67%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.26 ₱1,087

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$23.39 ₱1,472

17.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.17 ₱2,340

-13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$0.78 ₱49.15

752.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.09 ₱320

11.00%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$96.7 ₱6,088

184.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$941 ₱59.3K

741.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$28.48 ₱1,793

73.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$19.39 ₱1,221

30.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$75.5 ₱4,756

1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$55.5 ₱3,493

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$237 ₱14.9K

110.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$146 ₱9,223

110.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$385 ₱24.2K

179.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$215 ₱13.5K

186.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,879 ₱118.3K

53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,458 ₱91.8K

31.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$290 ₱18.2K

19.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Bulacan

$146 23% 52.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Bulacan

$147 23% 28.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Bulacan

$152 23.9% 5.8% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Bulacan

$81 12.6% 14.3% $13

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bulacan

$56 8.8% 36.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Bulacan

$47 7.4% 8.6% $3.7

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Bulacan

$8.9 1.4% 43% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $237 in Bulacan. 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 19% higher in Cebu, 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 $24.00 in Cebu versus $16.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $147 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

3,700,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Bulacan 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bulacan

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu costs about 44% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $958 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, 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 $918 in Cebu and $638 in Bulacan. That's a gap of about 44%.

Public transport costs about 89% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $638 in Bulacan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bulacan costs $638 versus $918 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 Bulacan. 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.