Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Chios

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,429 in Chios, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Chios
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,429
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Chios

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,429 in Chios.

  • Cebu $918
  • Chios $1,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,099 in Chios.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Chios $2,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,770 in Chios.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Chios $2,770

Living in Cebu costs roughly 36% less than in Chios, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Chios is 6% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$13.92 €12.38
-77.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$43.95 €39.09
-44.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$13.98 €12.44
-71.96%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$3.64 €3.24
-31.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$2.36 €2.10
-32.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.91 €0.81
-41.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$4.51 €4.01
-60.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$4.37 €3.89
-50.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.57 €1.40
22.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.37 €1.22
-0.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$2.58 €2.30
-60.85%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$4.54 €4.04
-55.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$13.11 €11.66
-24.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$9.76 €8.69
-55.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$13.93 €12.39
-45.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.23 €1.98
47.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.04 €1.81
-31.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.34 €1.20
73.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.99 €1.77
-24.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.12 €1.00
110.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.06 €0.94
79.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.05 €0.93
13.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.85 €0.76
-25.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$6.00 €5.33
-50.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$7.06 €6.28
-14.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.98 €1.76
-37.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.67 €2.37
-34.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Chios
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$1.31 €1.16
-80.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$43.37 €38.57
-70.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$4.07 €3.62
-81.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.22 €1.08
-81.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$16.42 €14.61
-72.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$2.07 €1.84
-36.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$31.4K €28.0K
-32.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$22.2K €19.8K
-13.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$199 €177
-39.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$20.12 €17.90
-30.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$27.27 €24.26
0.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$51.7 €46.01
-37.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$24.23 €21.55
-72.55%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$9.92 €8.83
-43.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$432 €384
-36.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$6,719 €5,977
17.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$77.4 €68.9
-36.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$42.43 €37.75
-40.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$78.9 €70.2
-2.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$118 €105
-51.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Chios
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$541 €482
-7.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$393 €349
-21.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$688 €612
56.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$552 €491
11.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$2,409 €2,143
19.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$2,499 €2,223
-23.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Chios
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
4.46
61.43%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chios: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Chios
$393 27.2% $84
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Chios
$276 34% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Chios
$246 52.4% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Chios
$142 51.6% $48
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Chios
$241 174% $153
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Chios
$72 64.1% $28
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Chios
$59 277% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $541 in Chios. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $44.00 in Chios for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $276 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇬🇷 Chios
🕒 Local time
04:42 4:42 AM
23:42 11:42 PM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
53,408
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Chios 9,970 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Chios

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 Chios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chios cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $2,144 in Chios 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.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Chios?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $541 in Chios. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Chios?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,429 in Chios – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 243% less than in Chios. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Chios?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,429 in Chios, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Chios. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Chios more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chios, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Chios?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Chios 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 56% less than in Chios. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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