Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Cabarete Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Cabarete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $873 in Cebu versus $863 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,326 in Cebu versus $1,311 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,778 in Cebu versus $1,758 in Cabarete.

Living in Cebu is roughly 1% more expensive than Cabarete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 35% lower, Cabarete 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.33 ₱267

$6.30 DOP 368

-31.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 ₱1,489

$36.13 DOP 2,108

-33.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 ₱269

$5.97 DOP 348

-26.97%

Cappuccino

$2.57 ₱159

$2.22 DOP 129

15.77%

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

$0.84 ₱52.1

$1.00 DOP 58.3

-16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₱26.36

$0.85 DOP 49.31

-49.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱94.5

$2.51 DOP 146

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱130

$3.69 DOP 215

-42.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 ₱137

$0.98 DOP 57.4

125.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ₱92.6

$1.42 DOP 82.6

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ₱68.7

$1.51 DOP 88.0

-26.49%

Eggs

$2.33 ₱144

$1.65 DOP 96.3

41.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 ₱803

$7.03 DOP 410

85.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 ₱330

$4.68 DOP 273

14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 ₱462

$5.72 DOP 334

31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 ₱220

$0.91 DOP 52.8

292.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱89.4

$0.92 DOP 53.8

57.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 ₱209

$1.87 DOP 109

81.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₱134

$1.30 DOP 75.8

67.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 ₱160

$1.06 DOP 61.7

144.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ₱153

$1.75 DOP 102

41.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱56.6

$1.09 DOP 63.8

-15.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₱48.95

$0.95 DOP 55.4

-16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 ₱192

$3.38 DOP 197

-7.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 ₱402

$10.83 DOP 632

-39.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₱74.4

$2.30 DOP 134

-47.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱143

$2.82 DOP 164

-17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.41

$0.70 DOP 40.67

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.00 ₱925

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱51.6

$3.32 DOP 193

-74.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.45

$2.20 DOP 128

-88.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 ₱166

$6.07 DOP 354

-55.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.1

$1.30 DOP 75.9

-16.15%

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

$30.1K ₱1.9M

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

12.78%

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

$27.0K ₱1.7M

$32.1K DOP 1.9M

-15.80%

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

$95.4 ₱5,880

$50.7 DOP 2,957

88.09%

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

$33.83 ₱2,086

$25.55 DOP 1,490

32.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 ₱1,836

$17.05 DOP 994

74.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.91 ₱2,029

$42.40 DOP 2,473

-22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.43 ₱520

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ₱360

$6.72 DOP 392

-13.10%

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

$233 ₱14.3K

$270 DOP 15.7K

-13.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,894 ₱240.1K

$7,965 DOP 464.6K

-51.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₱3,297

$59.9 DOP 3,494

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.75 ₱1,403

$51.9 DOP 3,027

-56.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 ₱4,729

$95.2 DOP 5,555

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 ₱3,359

$114 DOP 6,646

-52.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ₱31.8K

$880 DOP 51.3K

-41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₱12.9K

$252 DOP 14.7K

-17.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₱49.6K

$587 DOP 34.3K

37.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₱24.5K

$369 DOP 21.6K

7.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,955 ₱182.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,923 ₱118.6K

$312 DOP 18.2K

517.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$364 ₱22.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.9

-37.98%

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

Last update for Cebu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Cebu and $880 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Cabarete. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $184, with Cabarete cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cabarete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabarete wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Cebu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabarete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,309 in Cebu and $1,295 in Cabarete to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Cebu versus $880 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $233 in Cebu versus $270 in Cabarete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabarete – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $863 in Cabarete versus $873 in Cebu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabarete but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Cabarete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cabarete delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $863 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cabarete hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Cabarete 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 Cabarete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.