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 $856 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,339 in Cebu versus $1,324 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,805 in Cebu versus $1,791 in Cabarete.

Living in Cebu is roughly 2% more expensive than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ₱270

$6.41 DOP 374

-31.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.30 ₱1,496

$35.19 DOP 2,052

-30.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₱279

$6.08 DOP 355

-25.49%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱155

$2.20 DOP 128

14.55%

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

$0.80 ₱49.42

$1.02 DOP 59.6

-21.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₱25.97

$0.84 DOP 48.77

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₱97.7

$2.62 DOP 153

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₱135

$3.79 DOP 221

-42.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₱139

$0.99 DOP 57.9

128.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ₱93.0

$1.41 DOP 82.0

7.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 ₱71.6

$1.53 DOP 89.2

-24.18%

Eggs

$2.36 ₱145

$1.60 DOP 93.2

47.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 ₱792

$7.00 DOP 408

83.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 ₱331

$4.78 DOP 279

12.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 ₱481

$5.53 DOP 322

41.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 ₱217

$0.91 DOP 52.9

287.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱92.9

$0.85 DOP 49.56

77.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 ₱203

$1.93 DOP 112

70.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ₱136

$1.28 DOP 74.7

71.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 ₱162

$1.07 DOP 62.2

146.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 ₱152

$1.73 DOP 101

42.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₱61.4

$1.11 DOP 64.6

-9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₱48.06

$0.87 DOP 50.7

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 ₱191

$3.44 DOP 200

-9.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 ₱396

$10.59 DOP 617

-39.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₱71.7

$2.34 DOP 136

-50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₱138

$2.84 DOP 165

-21.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.80

$0.66 DOP 38.65

-60.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.36 ₱945

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱49.81

$3.50 DOP 204

-76.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.06

$2.15 DOP 125

-89.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 ₱163

$5.91 DOP 345

-55.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱67.7

$1.23 DOP 71.9

-10.57%

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

$30.5K ₱1.9M

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

15.98%

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

$27.7K ₱1.7M

$31.4K DOP 1.8M

-11.71%

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

$95.9 ₱5,904

$51.5 DOP 3,000

86.34%

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

$34.05 ₱2,096

$24.94 DOP 1,454

36.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.86 ₱1,838

$16.89 DOP 985

76.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.32 ₱2,051

$42.55 DOP 2,481

-21.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.45 ₱520

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ₱357

$6.95 DOP 405

-16.69%

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

$235 ₱14.5K

$270 DOP 15.7K

-12.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,913 ₱240.9K

$8,191 DOP 477.6K

-52.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 ₱3,272

$59.6 DOP 3,473

-10.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.65 ₱1,395

$51.7 DOP 3,014

-56.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ₱4,684

$95.5 DOP 5,568

-20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 ₱3,383

$114 DOP 6,657

-51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₱31.3K

$880 DOP 51.3K

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₱12.9K

$260 DOP 15.1K

-19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₱49.3K

$598 DOP 34.9K

33.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₱24.0K

$374 DOP 21.8K

4.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,013 ₱185.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,950 ₱120.1K

$305 DOP 17.8K

539.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ₱20.9K

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Cebu and $880 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $35.00 in Cabarete. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $182, 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 2% 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 $1,310 in Cebu and $1,284 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: $508 in Cebu versus $880 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 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 $35.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $856 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 $856 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 2% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.