Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Dorchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,161 in Dorchester, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Dorchester
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Dorchester Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Dorchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Dorchester

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $2,161 in Dorchester.

Cebu $918
Dorchester $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $3,191 in Dorchester.

Cebu $1,409
Dorchester $3,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $4,221 in Dorchester.

Cebu $1,900
Dorchester $4,221

Living in Cebu costs roughly 58% less than in Dorchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Dorchester is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$15.96 £11.98

-80.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$79.7 £59.8

-69.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.21 £3.91

-24.76%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.54 £3.41

-44.71%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.57 £1.93

-38.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.74 £1.30

-69.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.63 £5.72

-76.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.59 £4.94

-67.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.57 £1.18

22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.31 £0.98

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.08 £1.56

-51.44%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.29 £3.22

-52.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.14 £6.11

21.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.65 £6.49

-49.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$11.53 £8.65

-34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.83 £2.12

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.79 £1.35

-22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.58 £1.94

-9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.11 £3.09

-63.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.96 £1.47

20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.46 £1.10

30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.81 £0.61

46.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.99 £1.50

-68.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$22.79 £17.09

-86.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.41 £7.81

-42.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.79 £2.09

-55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.51 £2.63

-50.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.40 £2.55

-92.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$95.9 £71.9

-86.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.47 £2.60

-77.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.70 £1.27

-86.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$25.93 £19.45

-82.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.05 £1.54

-36.10%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$38.0K £28.5K

-44.03%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$41.0K £30.8K

-53.31%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$221 £166

-45.70%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.80 £12.60

-16.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$38.25 £28.69

-28.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$45.59 £34.20

-29.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$13.82 £10.37

-59.12%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$2,232 £1,674

-87.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$24.9K £18.7K

-68.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$59.3 £44.51

-16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$47.38 £35.55

-46.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$107 £80.3

-28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$95.7 £71.8

-40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,224 £919

-59.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$995 £746

-68.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$2,075 £1,557

-48.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,625 £1,219

-62.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$5,055 £3,792

-42.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$3,880 £2,911

-50.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,750 £1,313

-80.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.87

47.84%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dorchester: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Dorchester

$995 46% 222% $686

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Dorchester

$290 13.4% 40.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Dorchester

$276 12.8% 70.9% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Dorchester

$139 6.4% 48.2% $45

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Dorchester

$266 12.3% 202% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Dorchester

$73 3.4% 67.9% $30

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Dorchester

$121 5.6% 680% $106

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $1,224 in Dorchester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dorchester pays 406% 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 $80.0 in Dorchester for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $290 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇬🇧 Dorchester

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

19,500

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Dorchester 11,490 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Dorchester

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 Dorchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 406% lower in Dorchester. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $1,224 in Dorchester. 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 $2,161 in Dorchester – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 659% less than in Dorchester. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,161 in Dorchester, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Dorchester. 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 Dorchester, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Dorchester 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 135% less than in Dorchester. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.