Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Buzias

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $985 in Buzias, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. The total is higher in Buzias despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Buzias
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Buzias Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Buzias

🇷🇴 Romania

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Buzias

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $985 in Buzias, rent included.

Cebu $918
Buzias $985

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,510 in Buzias, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Buzias $1,510

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $2,034 in Buzias, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Buzias $2,034

Cebu is about 7% cheaper than Buzias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cebu and Buzias are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Buzias 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$8.35 RON 39.52

-62.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$41.18 RON 195

-41.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.17 RON 33.92

-45.33%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.12 RON 14.75

-19.55%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.02 RON 9.54

-21.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.75 RON 8.29

-69.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.11 RON 14.71

-42.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.88 RON 18.35

-44.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.36 RON 6.43

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.09 RON 5.15

24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.35 RON 6.41

-25.19%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.39 RON 16.04

-40.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.73 RON 36.58

27.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.99 RON 28.36

-26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$8.02 RON 37.93

-5.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.15 RON 5.46

186.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.55 RON 7.35

-10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.46 RON 6.89

59.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.54 RON 12.00

-40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.66 RON 3.12

257.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.65 RON 3.06

192.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.04 RON 4.92

14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.92 RON 4.33

-31.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.91 RON 27.96

-49.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.43 RON 35.15

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.97 RON 4.57

26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.36 RON 6.43

28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.71 RON 3.36

-64.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$21.93 RON 104

-42.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.99 RON 4.66

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.81 RON 3.84

-71.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$8.30 RON 39.27

-46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.96 RON 9.26

-33.16%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$28.9K RON 136.6K

-26.40%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$25.0K RON 118.5K

-23.52%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$114 RON 541

5.17%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$9.00 RON 42.59

55.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$12.19 RON 57.7

125.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.40 RON 177

-13.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$20.10 RON 95.1

-66.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.88 RON 32.56

-17.88%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$452 RON 2,136

-39.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$6,811 RON 32.2K

16.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$74.6 RON 353

-33.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$32.11 RON 152

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$85.6 RON 405

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$89.8 RON 425

-36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$380 RON 1,798

31.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$283 RON 1,337

9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$605 RON 2,862

78.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$441 RON 2,087

39.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,822 RON 8,619

58.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,355 RON 6,410

41.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.02

2.56%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Buzias: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Buzias

$283 28.7% 8.5% $26

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Buzias

$195 19.8% 5.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Buzias

$136 13.8% 16.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Buzias

$127 12.9% 35.2% $33

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Buzias

$164 16.7% 85.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Buzias

$51 5.2% 17.3% $7.5

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Buzias

$30 3% 91.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $380 in Buzias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $41.00 in Buzias. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Cebu vs $195 in Buzias – so Buzias wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Buzias

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

7,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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 = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Buzias 10,130 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Buzias

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 Buzias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Buzias is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $1,478 in Buzias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 73% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $452 in Buzias. 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 $985 in Buzias, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cebu – 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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Buzias makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.