Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Calbayog

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $739 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Calbayog
Learn more

Calbayog Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Calbayog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Calbayog

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $739 in Calbayog, rent included.

Cebu $934
Calbayog $739

A couple spends around $1,423 per month in Cebu vs $1,112 in Calbayog, rent included.

Cebu $1,423
Calbayog $1,112

A family of three spends $1,913 per month in Cebu vs $1,486 in Calbayog, rent included.

Cebu $1,913
Calbayog $1,486

Cebu costs about 26% more than Calbayog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Calbayog are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 31% lower, Calbayog 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱243

$3.94 ₱252

-3.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,493

$16.45 ₱1,053

41.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.49 ₱159

58.23%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.30 ₱147

10.43%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.57 ₱36.64

175.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.87

$0.30 ₱19.37

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.28 ₱82.1

38.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.78 ₱114

24.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.50 ₱95.8

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.3

$1.17 ₱75.2

16.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.9

$0.91 ₱58.5

3.30%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.08 ₱133

-4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱621

$5.21 ₱333

86.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$3.80 ₱243

13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱481

$6.32 ₱404

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱212

$2.52 ₱161

31.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.6

$1.46 ₱93.3

-6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱150

$2.48 ₱158

-5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.5

$1.08 ₱69.2

37.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.86 ₱119

23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$2.13 ₱136

-12.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.13 ₱72.0

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.42

$0.57 ₱36.58

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.85 ₱183

0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$7.97 ₱510

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.6

$1.02 ₱65.3

24.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.05 ₱131

-16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$0.26 ₱16.85

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱790

$10.60 ₱678

16.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.60

$0.78 ₱50.1

-5.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.10

$0.24 ₱15.29

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱274

$1.94 ₱124

120.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.8

$1.28 ₱81.7

2.34%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$18.2K ₱1.2M

14.30%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$16.3K ₱1.0M

17.04%

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

$118 ₱7,577

$135 ₱8,613

-12.03%

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

$15.76 ₱1,009

$14.04 ₱898

12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,813

$23.69 ₱1,516

19.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,108

$30.92 ₱1,979

6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$4.83 ₱309

34.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱349

$4.88 ₱312

11.68%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$126 ₱8,085

118.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱498.4K

$7,047 ₱450.9K

10.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,083

$30.57 ₱1,956

57.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,566

$17.67 ₱1,131

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,817

$60.3 ₱3,856

24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,713

$57.7 ₱3,694

0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$284 ₱18.2K

67.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$182 ₱11.6K

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.6K

$523 ₱33.5K

84.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$369 ₱23.6K

69.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱291.2K

$2,324 ₱148.7K

95.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.8K

$1,159 ₱74.2K

161.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$147 ₱9,436

126.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.92

4.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calbayog: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Calbayog

$182 24.6% 43.5% $140

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Calbayog

$175 23.7% 14% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Calbayog

$172 23.3% 6% $9.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Calbayog

$80 10.8% 14.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Calbayog

$75 10.1% 19.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Calbayog

$41 5.5% 7.2% $3.2

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Calbayog

$14 1.9% 9.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Cebu versus $284 in Calbayog. 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 2.3 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 Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $175 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Calbayog

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

183,851

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Calbayog 210 km

From you

Cebu
Calbayog

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 Calbayog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu and $1,108 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calbayog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $477 in Cebu.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

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

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