Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Carlow

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,548 in Carlow, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Carlow
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Carlow Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Carlow

🇮🇪 Ireland

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Carlow

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

A single person spends $915 per month in Cebu vs $2,548 in Carlow, rent included.

Cebu $915
Carlow $2,548

A couple spends around $1,418 per month in Cebu vs $3,814 in Carlow, rent included.

Cebu $1,418
Carlow $3,814

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Cebu vs $5,081 in Carlow, rent included.

Cebu $1,921
Carlow $5,081

Cebu is about 64% cheaper than Carlow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 33% below the global median, while Carlow is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$21.01 €18.69

-85.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$90.7 €80.7

-73.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$13.10 €11.65

-69.54%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$4.25 €3.78

-41.18%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$2.67 €2.37

-42.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$2.22 €1.97

-77.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.41 €6.59

-75.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$6.54 €5.82

-66.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.64 €1.46

21.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.99 €1.77

-31.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.91 €1.69

-46.07%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.35 €3.87

-53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$13.47 €11.98

-24.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$12.81 €11.39

-65.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$14.43 €12.84

-46.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.19 €2.84

3.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$3.00 €2.67

-51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.33 €2.96

-30.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$3.29 €2.92

-54.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.37 €2.11

-1.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.76 €1.57

10.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.44 €1.28

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$1.33 €1.19

-48.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$18.84 €16.76

-84.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$13.53 €12.04

-53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$4.27 €3.80

-71.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$3.43 €3.05

-49.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$1.25 €1.11

-81.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$5.11 €4.55

-84.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.54 €1.37

-85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$32.43 €28.85

-86.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$2.09 €1.86

-36.84%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$38.6K €34.4K

-45.63%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$38.1K €33.9K

-49.10%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$243 €216

-51.20%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$22.26 €19.80

-36.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$56.4 €50.2

-51.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$78.8 €70.1

-59.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$56.1 €49.93

-88.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$13.59 €12.09

-60.26%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$1,052 €936

-73.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$5,449 €4,847

44.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$95.3 €84.8

-48.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$42.63 €37.92

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$101 €89.8

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$102 €90.3

-42.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$1,441 €1,282

-65.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$1,261 €1,121

-75.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$2,596 €2,310

-58.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$2,152 €1,914

-70.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$5,664 €5,038

-49.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$6,675 €5,937

-71.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$2,351 €2,091

-85.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

80.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Carlow: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Carlow

$1.3K 49.5% 314% $956

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Carlow

$361 14.2% 72% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Carlow

$322 12.6% 101% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Carlow

$153 6% 62.5% $59

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Carlow

$328 12.9% 274% $240

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Carlow

$106 4.2% 146% $63

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Carlow

$18 * 0.7% 17.6% $2.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Cebu versus $1,441 in Carlow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 600% higher in Carlow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $91.0 in Carlow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $361 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇪 Carlow

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

23:37 11:37 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

27,351

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Carlow 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Carlow

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 Carlow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 179%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,372 per month in Cebu and $3,822 in Carlow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $915 in Cebu and $2,548 in Carlow. That's a gap of about 179%.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Cebu and $1,052 in Carlow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $915, than in Carlow at $2,548. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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