Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Embrach

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $3,413 in Embrach, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Embrach
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Embrach Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Embrach

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Embrach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $3,413 in Embrach.

Cebu $918
Embrach $3,413

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $5,157 in Embrach.

Cebu $1,409
Embrach $5,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $6,900 in Embrach.

Cebu $1,900
Embrach $6,900

Living in Cebu costs roughly 73% less than in Embrach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Embrach is 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$29.58 CHF 24.36

-89.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$119 CHF 97.7

-79.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$18.28 CHF 15.05

-78.56%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$6.10 CHF 5.02

-58.85%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$5.27 CHF 4.34

-69.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$4.94 CHF 4.07

-89.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$8.93 CHF 7.36

-80.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.01 CHF 5.77

-69.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$3.68 CHF 3.03

-63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-72.18%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$7.75 CHF 6.38

-73.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$25.68 CHF 21.15

-61.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$28.23 CHF 23.25

-84.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$39.96 CHF 32.91

-80.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.53 CHF 2.91

-6.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-31.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.60 CHF 2.14

-10.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.70 CHF 3.87

-68.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.79 CHF 1.48

31.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.13 CHF 1.75

-10.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-47.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.25 CHF 1.03

-49.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$10.80 CHF 8.89

-72.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$12.55 CHF 10.33

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.69 CHF 2.21

-54.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.16 CHF 2.60

-44.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$4.62 CHF 3.80

-94.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$97.8 CHF 80.5

-87.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$7.57 CHF 6.23

-89.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$4.62 CHF 3.80

-95.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$74.5 CHF 61.3

-94.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-39.91%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-48.76%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-50.99%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$280 CHF 231

-57.04%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$33.14 CHF 27.30

-57.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$56.0 CHF 46.09

-50.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$88.4 CHF 72.8

-63.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$46.03 CHF 37.91

-85.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$22.52 CHF 18.55

-74.91%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$2,681 CHF 2,208

-89.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$34.0K CHF 28.0K

-76.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$142 CHF 117

-65.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$58.3 CHF 48.02

-56.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$152 CHF 126

-49.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$186 CHF 153

-69.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,685 CHF 1,388

-70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,472 CHF 1,213

-79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$2,787 CHF 2,295

-61.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$2,429 CHF 2,001

-74.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-81.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

-84.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$6,693 CHF 5,513

-94.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.07

247.83%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Embrach: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Embrach

$1.5K 43.2% 377% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Embrach

$585 17.1% 184% $379

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Embrach

$369 10.8% 128% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Embrach

$242 7.1% 158% $148

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Embrach

$464 13.6% 426% $376

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Embrach

$133 3.9% 206% $90

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Embrach

$147 4.3% 843% $131

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $1,685 in Embrach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embrach pays 1835% 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 $119 in Embrach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $585 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇨🇭 Embrach

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

08:25 8:25 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

9,300

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Embrach 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Embrach

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 Embrach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 272% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1835% lower in Embrach. 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 $1,685 in Embrach. 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 $3,413 in Embrach – a 272% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 674% less than in Embrach. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $3,413 in Embrach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Embrach. 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 Embrach, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Embrach 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 272% less than in Embrach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.