Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Davao

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Davao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $839 in Davao.

Cebu $934
Davao $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,275 in Davao.

Cebu $1,423
Davao $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,712 in Davao.

Cebu $1,913
Davao $1,712

Living in Cebu is roughly 11% more expensive than in Davao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Davao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$4.71 ₱300

-19.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,487

$26.33 ₱1,678

-11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱251

$3.83 ₱244

2.87%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱162

$2.53 ₱161

0.40%

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

$1.57 ₱99.9

$1.06 ₱67.5

48.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.74

$0.62 ₱39.77

-24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱112

$1.53 ₱97.3

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.38 ₱151

-6.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.96 ₱125

-3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱86.9

$1.07 ₱68.2

27.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.7

$0.91 ₱58.1

3.30%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.84 ₱117

8.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱618

$6.41 ₱408

51.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱275

$4.59 ₱293

-5.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱479

$8.97 ₱572

-16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.68 ₱171

23.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.3

$1.06 ₱67.6

29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.43 ₱155

-3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.1

$1.14 ₱72.5

30.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.99 ₱126

15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱119

$3.35 ₱214

-44.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.24 ₱78.9

-11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.25

$0.71 ₱45.18

-11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱182

$2.46 ₱157

16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱388

$7.99 ₱509

-23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.2

$1.27 ₱80.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.58 ₱101

8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.95

$0.21 ₱13.37

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱786

$13.16 ₱839

-6.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.40

$0.81 ₱51.6

-8.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.05

$0.24 ₱15.38

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱272

$1.83 ₱117

133.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.5

$1.22 ₱77.4

7.38%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

-2.68%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.01%

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

$118 ₱7,545

$105 ₱6,684

12.88%

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

$15.76 ₱1,004

$19.14 ₱1,219

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,805

$30.17 ₱1,922

-6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,099

$34.37 ₱2,190

-4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱413

$3.44 ₱219

88.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱347

$4.75 ₱303

14.74%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$104 ₱6,646

164.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱496.3K

$7,536 ₱480.2K

3.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,070

$61.0 ₱3,890

-21.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,559

$30.74 ₱1,959

-20.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,797

$69.7 ₱4,440

8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,697

$60.1 ₱3,829

-3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.4K

$350 ₱22.3K

36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$229 ₱14.6K

40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.4K

$723 ₱46.1K

33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱39.9K

$404 ₱25.7K

55.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.0K

$1,584 ₱100.9K

187.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.0K

$1,364 ₱86.9K

122.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.2K

$207 ₱13.2K

61.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.31

-13.36%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Davao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Davao

$229 27.3% 28.8% $93

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Davao

$197 23.5% 3.2% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Davao

$154 18.4% 5.1% $8.3

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Davao

$99 11.8% 4.8% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Davao

$100 11.9% 7.6% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Davao

$44 5.2% 0% $0

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Davao

$16 1.9% 6.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $350 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $26 in Davao. Groceries flip the comparison at $204 vs $197, with Davao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Davao

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,632,991

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cebu Davao 410 km

From you

Cebu
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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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $477 in Cebu versus $350 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $839 in Davao – Davao is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 6% less than in Davao. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Davao 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 Davao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Davao wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.