Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Dagupan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $743 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Dagupan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $743 in Dagupan.

Cebu $915
Dagupan $743

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,100 in Dagupan.

Cebu $1,418
Dagupan $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,457 in Dagupan.

Cebu $1,921
Dagupan $1,457

Living in Cebu is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dagupan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Dagupan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$2.81 ₱177

8.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$12.03 ₱757

99.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$4.34 ₱273

-8.06%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.43 ₱153

2.88%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.50 ₱31.29

208.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.23 ₱14.46

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.22 ₱76.9

45.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.63 ₱166

-17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.72 ₱108

16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.30 ₱81.7

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.96 ₱60.2

7.29%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.91 ₱120

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$5.87 ₱370

73.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.86 ₱306

-8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$6.78 ₱427

13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$4.17 ₱263

-20.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.00 ₱126

-27.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.68 ₱169

-13.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.17 ₱73.9

27.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.79 ₱175

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$3.54 ₱223

-45.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.06 ₱66.5

9.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.55 ₱34.32

23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.40 ₱151

24.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$5.47 ₱344

14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$0.85 ₱53.8

44.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.86 ₱117

-6.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.22 ₱13.86

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.64 ₱40.34

23.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.21 ₱13.18

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$1.93 ₱122

135.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.13 ₱71.1

16.81%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-0.20%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-0.83%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$103 ₱6,463

15.49%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$16.25 ₱1,023

-12.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$26.02 ₱1,638

5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$33.66 ₱2,119

-4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.22 ₱328

3.45%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$808 ₱50.9K

-65.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$7,459 ₱469.6K

5.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$59.2 ₱3,726

-16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$8.00 ₱503

207.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$82.2 ₱5,172

-6.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$103 ₱6,463

-42.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$193 ₱12.2K

160.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$161 ₱10.1K

89.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$353 ₱22.2K

204.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$260 ₱16.4K

143.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$476 ₱30.0K

294.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$234 ₱14.7K

43.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dagupan: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Dagupan

$161 21.6% 47.2% $144

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Dagupan

$199 26.7% 5.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Dagupan

$145 19.5% 9.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Dagupan

$113 15.3% 20.3% $19

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Dagupan

$79 10.6% 10% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Dagupan

$44 5.9% 2.3% $1

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4% 83% $13

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 $503 in Cebu and $193 in Dagupan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 44% 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 $12.00 in Dagupan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $199 per month, with Dagupan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

174,302

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Dagupan 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Dagupan

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 Dagupan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dagupan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $193 in Dagupan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $743 in Dagupan – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dagupan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Safety-wise, Cebu and Dagupan 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 Dagupan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.