Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Foca

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Foca: $918 and $952 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Foca
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Foca Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Foca

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Foca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $952 in Foca.

Cebu $918
Foca $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,369 in Foca.

Cebu $1,409
Foca $1,369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,786 in Foca.

Cebu $1,900
Foca $1,786

Living in Cebu costs roughly 4% less than in Foca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Foca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$5.40 BAM 9.39

-42.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$21.90 BAM 38.08

10.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.68 BAM 8.14

-16.24%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.53 BAM 2.66

64.05%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.36 BAM 2.37

16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.78 BAM 1.36

-32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.75 BAM 3.04

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.26 BAM 3.92

-3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.16 BAM 2.03

65.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.11 BAM 1.94

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.62 BAM 2.82

-37.65%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.11 BAM 3.67

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$6.89 BAM 11.99

43.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.45 BAM 11.22

-31.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.11 BAM 17.59

-24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.88 BAM 1.54

275.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.74 BAM 3.02

-20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.24 BAM 3.90

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.73 BAM 3.01

-13.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.02 BAM 1.77

131.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.34 BAM 2.34

41.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.17 BAM 2.03

1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.86 BAM 1.50

-26.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.43 BAM 5.96

-12.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.93 BAM 13.79

-23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.82 BAM 1.43

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.11 BAM 1.93

57.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.28 BAM 2.22

-80.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.66 BAM 2.89

-53.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.59 BAM 1.03

-61.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$17.47 BAM 30.37

-74.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.48 BAM 2.57

-11.49%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$30.3K BAM 52.6K

-29.83%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.2K BAM 36.8K

-9.65%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$157 BAM 274

-23.58%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.59 BAM 28.85

-15.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$33.72 BAM 58.6

-18.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$29.19 BAM 50.8

10.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.76 BAM 10.02

-1.91%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$289 BAM 503

-4.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$3,628 BAM 6,308

118.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$84.9 BAM 148

-41.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$36.14 BAM 62.9

-30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$68.8 BAM 120

11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$142 BAM 246

-59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$155 BAM 269

223.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$251 BAM 437

22.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$515 BAM 896

109.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$368 BAM 641

67.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,431 BAM 4,228

18.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,663 BAM 2,892

15.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.44

62.16%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Foca: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Foca

$251 26.4% 18.7% $58

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Foca

$196 20.6% 4.6% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Foca

$208 21.8% 28.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Foca

$149 15.7% 58.7% $55

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Foca

$97 10.2% 10.4% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Foca

$41 4.3% 6.6% $2.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Foca

$9.7 * 1% 37.6% $5.9

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 $500 in Cebu and $155 in Foca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $22.00 in Foca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $196 per month, with Foca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇦 Foca

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

07:21 7:21 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

12,334

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Foca 10,410 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Foca

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 Foca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,428 in Foca 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 $155 in Foca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Foca pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $952 in Foca – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

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

Safety-wise, Cebu and Foca 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 4% less than in Foca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.