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: $936 in Cebu versus $1,218 in Cabarete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Cebu versus $1,855 in Cabarete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,918 in Cebu versus $2,492 in Cabarete.

Living in Cebu costs roughly 23% less than in Cabarete, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Cabarete 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱193

$7.76 DOP 455

-60.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.80 ₱1,488

$49.52 DOP 2,899

-51.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.10 ₱257

$6.76 DOP 396

-39.35%

Cappuccino

$2.60 ₱163

$2.04 DOP 120

27.45%

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

$1.55 ₱96.9

$1.13 DOP 66.1

37.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.46

$0.67 DOP 39.46

-19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.53 DOP 148

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₱137

$3.46 DOP 203

-36.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱120

$1.41 DOP 82.6

36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ₱87.1

$1.59 DOP 93.2

-12.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱60.8

$1.67 DOP 97.7

-41.92%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱125

$2.40 DOP 141

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 ₱621

$7.51 DOP 440

32.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 ₱274

$5.76 DOP 337

-23.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 ₱463

$6.62 DOP 388

11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 ₱217

$3.04 DOP 178

13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₱91.7

$0.85 DOP 49.91

72.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱151

$2.82 DOP 165

-14.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.5

$1.89 DOP 111

-18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.12 DOP 124

11.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₱119

$2.31 DOP 135

-17.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱77.3

$1.03 DOP 60.3

20.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.42

$0.87 DOP 51.1

-24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.98 DOP 233

-24.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱380

$10.41 DOP 609

-41.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.8

$2.69 DOP 157

-51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.61 DOP 153

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.65

$1.03 DOP 60.3

-75.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.73 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱46.78

$3.33 DOP 195

-77.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.41

$2.27 DOP 133

-89.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 ₱288

$6.01 DOP 352

-23.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₱83.7

$1.21 DOP 71.0

10.74%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

-9.76%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.4K DOP 2.0M

-43.60%

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

$121 ₱7,564

$94.8 DOP 5,550

27.61%

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

$14.86 ₱929

$31.78 DOP 1,860

-53.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.84 ₱1,741

$37.80 DOP 2,213

-26.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.06 ₱2,005

$25.35 DOP 1,484

26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.43 ₱402

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 ₱352

$7.59 DOP 444

-25.69%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$260 DOP 15.2K

5.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 ₱501.3K

$7,121 DOP 416.9K

12.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ₱3,050

$46.13 DOP 2,701

5.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 ₱1,594

$48.21 DOP 2,823

-47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ₱4,884

$88.2 DOP 5,164

-11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 ₱3,616

$130 DOP 7,584

-55.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.3K

$704 DOP 41.2K

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₱18.7K

$506 DOP 29.6K

-40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 ₱68.1K

$1,192 DOP 69.8K

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.5K

$785 DOP 46.0K

-19.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,888 ₱180.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱117.3K

$306 DOP 17.9K

512.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

13.56

-46.90%

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

Last update for Cebu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cabarete: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $704 in Cabarete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $50.0 in Cabarete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $224 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

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

Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Cabarete. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cebu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,404 in Cebu and $1,826 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: $500 in Cebu versus $704 in Cabarete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Cebu versus $260 in Cabarete. 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 $24.00 versus $50.0 in Cabarete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in Cebu versus $1,218 in Cabarete, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Cabarete. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cebu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $936 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Cabarete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.