Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Dabas

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,292 in Dabas, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Dabas
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Dabas Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Dabas

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Dabas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,292 in Dabas.

Cebu $918
Dabas $1,292

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,972 in Dabas.

Cebu $1,409
Dabas $1,972

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,653 in Dabas.

Cebu $1,900
Dabas $2,653

Living in Cebu costs roughly 29% less than in Dabas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Dabas 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.57 Ft 3,737

-73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$36.39 Ft 11.8K

-33.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.16 Ft 2,958

-57.21%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.50 Ft 485

67.33%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.35 Ft 437

17.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.48 Ft 155

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.69 Ft 547

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.55 Ft 499

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.23 Ft 398

56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.57 Ft 506

-13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.42 Ft 781

-58.26%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.18 Ft 1,028

-36.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.27 Ft 3,318

-3.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.88 Ft 2,224

-36.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$16.14 Ft 5,216

-52.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.43 Ft 784

35.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.31 Ft 745

-39.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.64 Ft 852

-11.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$3.85 Ft 1,244

-61.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.09 Ft 353

116.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.42 Ft 459

33.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.86 Ft 600

-36.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.58 Ft 188

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$7.70 Ft 2,489

-61.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.53 Ft 1,464

33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.37 Ft 443

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.59 Ft 837

-32.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.26 Ft 406

-80.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$27.69 Ft 8,947

-54.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.46 Ft 1,118

-77.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.38 Ft 447

-83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$24.17 Ft 7,809

-81.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.57 Ft 508

-16.56%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$31.0K Ft 10.0M

-31.46%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$36.3K Ft 11.7M

-47.22%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$166 Ft 53.7K

-27.60%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$20.87 Ft 6,742

-32.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$20.72 Ft 6,693

32.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$49.15 Ft 15.9K

-34.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$18.00 Ft 5,814

-63.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$8.86 Ft 2,862

-36.23%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$436 Ft 140.8K

-36.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,678 Ft 2.5M

3.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$100.0 Ft 32.3K

-50.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$51.1 Ft 16.5K

-50.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$95.2 Ft 30.7K

-19.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$112 Ft 36.3K

-49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$512 Ft 165.3K

-2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$395 Ft 127.5K

-21.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$860 Ft 277.8K

25.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$702 Ft 226.7K

-12.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,623 Ft 847.3K

10.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,942 Ft 950.4K

-34.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dabas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Dabas

$395 30.5% 27.7% $86

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Dabas

$261 20.2% 27% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Dabas

$208 16.1% 28.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Dabas

$161 12.5% 71.7% $67

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Dabas

$157 12.2% 77.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Dabas

$67 5.2% 53.3% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Dabas

$43 3.3% 177% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $512 in Dabas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Dabas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $261 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇭🇺 Dabas

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

17,542

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Dabas 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Dabas

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 Dabas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,938 in Dabas 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 $512 in Dabas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,292 in Dabas – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 119% less than in Dabas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,292 in Dabas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Dabas. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dabas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Dabas 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 41% less than in Dabas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.