Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $603 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
Learn more

Cabanatuan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Cabanatuan

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $603 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Cebu $934
Cabanatuan $603

A couple spends around $1,423 per month in Cebu vs $934 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Cebu $1,423
Cabanatuan $934

A family of three spends $1,913 per month in Cebu vs $1,265 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Cebu $1,913
Cabanatuan $1,265

Cebu costs about 55% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Cabanatuan are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 31% lower, Cabanatuan 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$3.87 ₱247

-2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$16.22 ₱1,036

43.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.72 ₱174

44.85%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$1.76 ₱112

44.32%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.60 ₱38.22

161.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.33 ₱21.31

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$0.99 ₱63.5

78.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.60 ₱102

38.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.65 ₱105

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$1.09 ₱69.7

24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.93 ₱59.1

1.08%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.06 ₱132

-3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$4.89 ₱312

98.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$3.28 ₱210

31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$7.81 ₱499

-3.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.24 ₱143

47.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.03 ₱66.0

33.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.33 ₱149

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$0.76 ₱48.26

96.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.64 ₱105

40.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$1.67 ₱107

11.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$0.65 ₱41.83

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.49 ₱31.20

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.85 ₱182

0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$8.41 ₱537

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$0.89 ₱57.1

42.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.01 ₱129

-14.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.25 ₱15.87

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$12.20 ₱779

1.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.80 ₱51.4

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.24 ₱15.38

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$1.83 ₱117

133.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$0.98 ₱62.4

33.67%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-1.07%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.22%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$52.5 ₱3,356

125.46%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$17.06 ₱1,090

-7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$21.33 ₱1,363

32.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$10.88 ₱695

202.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$4.72 ₱302

37.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$5.22 ₱333

4.41%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$130 ₱8,331

111.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$10.5K ₱671.0K

-25.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$23.08 ₱1,475

108.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$18.95 ₱1,211

29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$59.0 ₱3,771

27.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$55.2 ₱3,530

5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$261 ₱16.7K

82.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$166 ₱10.6K

93.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$431 ₱27.6K

123.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$308 ₱19.7K

103.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$2,890 ₱184.6K

57.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$1,257 ₱80.3K

140.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$158 ₱10.1K

110.91%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6% 48.3% $155

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Cabanatuan

$166 27.6% 18.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1% 44.1% $72

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Cabanatuan

$72 12% 23.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7% 24.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5% 51.4% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5% 0.9% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Cebu versus $261 in Cabanatuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cebu are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Cebu versus $16 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $166 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

302,231

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Cabanatuan 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $934 in Cebu, $603 in Cabanatuan – Cabanatuan comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu and $904 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $261 there versus $477 in Cebu.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Cebu and $16 in Cabanatuan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Cebu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $934 in Cebu and $603 in Cabanatuan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.