For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,051 in Cacak, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Cacak despite lower rent and utilities.
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 Cacak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,051 in Cacak.
Cebu $918
Cacak $1,051
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,571 in Cacak.
Cebu $1,409
Cacak $1,571
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,092 in Cacak.
Cebu $1,900
Cacak $2,092
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 13% less than in Cacak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Cacak22% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$7.29RSD 760
-57.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$38.45RSD 4,009
-37.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$11.29RSD 1,177
-65.28%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$1.54RSD 161
62.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$2.41RSD 251
-34.02%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$1.44RSD 150
-63.19%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$2.52RSD 263
-29.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$2.53RSD 264
-14.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.23RSD 128
56.10%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.73RSD 76.2
86.30%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.71RSD 283
-62.73%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$2.64RSD 275
-23.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$3.76RSD 392
162.23%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$7.35RSD 766
-40.27%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$13.96RSD 1,456
-45.56%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$1.25RSD 130
164.00%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$1.88RSD 196
-26.06%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$1.67RSD 174
39.52%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$2.48RSD 258
-39.52%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.00RSD 104
136.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.68RSD 71.1
179.41%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.01RSD 105
17.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.60RSD 62.0
5.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$4.66RSD 486
-35.62%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$7.13RSD 743
-15.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$0.94RSD 97.7
30.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.23RSD 232
-21.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.93RSD 96.9
-73.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$16.54RSD 1,724
-23.58%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$1.95RSD 203
-60.51%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.89RSD 92.9
-74.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$10.64RSD 1,109
-58.08%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.69RSD 177
-22.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$27.3KRSD 2.8M
-22.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$25.7KRSD 2.7M
-25.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$142RSD 14.8K
-15.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$18.81RSD 1,961
-25.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$18.90RSD 1,971
45.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$29.86RSD 3,112
8.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$7.59RSD 791
-25.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$374RSD 39.0K
-26.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$7,499RSD 781.7K
5.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$119RSD 12.4K
-58.38%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$43.32RSD 4,516
-41.74%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$136RSD 14.2K
-43.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$125RSD 13.0K
-54.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$311RSD 32.5K
60.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$259RSD 27.0K
19.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$423RSD 44.1K
154.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$371RSD 38.7K
65.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$2,109RSD 219.8K
36.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$1,573RSD 164.0K
21.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Cacak
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$723RSD 75.3K
-52.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
5.21
38.20%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cacak: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Cacak
$259 24.6% ↓ 16.2%$50
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Cacak
$206 19.7% ↑ 0.3%$0.5
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Cacak
$180 17.1% ↑ 11.1%$18
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Cacak
$190 18.1% ↑ 103%$96
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Cacak
$144 13.7% ↑ 62.8%$55
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Cacak
$45 4.3% ↑ 3.2%$1.4
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Cacak
$27 2.5% ↑ 71.2%$11
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Cacak
$371 17.7% ↓ 39.7%$244
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Cacak
$484 23.1% ↑ 0.3%$1.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Cacak
$198 9.5% ↑ 12.9%$23
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Cacak
$423 20.2% ↑ 103%$214
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Cacak
$470 22.5% ↑ 61%$178
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Cacak
$90 * 4.3% ↓ 4.1%$3.8
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Cacak
$55 2.6% ↑ 74.4%$24
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 $500 in Cebu and $311 in Cacak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cacak pays 109% 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $38.00 in Cacak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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 Cacak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cacak cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Cacak?
On paper, salaries run 109% lower in Cacak. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Cacak?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $311 in Cacak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $374 in Cacak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Cacak?
Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Cacak. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Cacak?
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.
Is Cebu or Cacak more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cacak, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Cacak?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Cacak are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Cacak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.