Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Byblos

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,026 in Byblos, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Byblos despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Byblos
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Byblos Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Byblos

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Byblos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,026 in Byblos.

Cebu $934
Byblos $1,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,629 in Byblos.

Cebu $1,415
Byblos $1,629

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,231 in Byblos.

Cebu $1,896
Byblos $2,231

Living in Cebu costs roughly 9% less than in Byblos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Byblos 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$9.17 LBP 820.3K

-66.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$42.55 LBP 3.8M

-44.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$7.19 LBP 643.6K

-43.12%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.94 LBP 262.9K

-14.29%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.98 LBP 88.0K

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.01 LBP 90.5K

-51.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.26 LBP 113.2K

54.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.66 LBP 59.4K

116.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.54 LBP 137.9K

-33.77%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.15 LBP 192.3K

-4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$9.16 LBP 820.2K

7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$8.09 LBP 724.5K

-43.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$12.19 LBP 1.1M

-36.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.03 LBP 271.0K

9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.95 LBP 174.7K

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.01 LBP 90.6K

133.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.06 LBP 184.1K

-25.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.98 LBP 88.0K

140.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.98 LBP 87.3K

103.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.03 LBP 91.9K

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.02 LBP 90.9K

-34.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$3.98 LBP 356.3K

59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.53 LBP 137.2K

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.98 LBP 177.4K

-12.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.97 LBP 87.2K

-74.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.98 LBP 87.5K

-78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$0.93 LBP 82.8K

43.01%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$22.2K LBP 2.0B

-2.01%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$22.6K LBP 2.0B

-14.06%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$101 LBP 9.0M

19.35%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$22.81 LBP 2.0M

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$24.64 LBP 2.2M

14.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$37.96 LBP 3.4M

-13.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$40.26 LBP 3.6M

-84.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$10.17 LBP 910.4K

-46.31%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$392 LBP 35.1M

-30.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$3,053 LBP 273.2M

167.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$98.2 LBP 8.8M

-49.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$101 LBP 9.0M

-75.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$118 LBP 10.6M

-35.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$151 LBP 13.5M

-60.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$304 LBP 27.2M

66.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$223 LBP 20.0M

38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$792 LBP 70.9M

32.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$403 LBP 36.0M

53.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$1,360 LBP 121.7M

114.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$841 LBP 75.2M

122.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$1,005 LBP 89.9M

-66.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Byblos: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Byblos

$223 22.1% 27.9% $86

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Byblos

$221 21.9% 4.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Byblos

$148 14.7% 9.1% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Byblos

$211 20.9% 123% $116

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Byblos

$138 * 13.7% 56.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Byblos

$58 5.8% 33.7% $15

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Byblos

$8.8 * 0.9% 43.1% $6.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $304 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 195% 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 $43.00 in Byblos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $221 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇧 Byblos

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

11:23 11:23 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

20,784

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,381 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Byblos 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Byblos

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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Byblos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $304 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Cebu versus $392 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $43.00 in Byblos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Byblos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Byblos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Byblos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.