Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Freetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,818 in Freetown, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Freetown
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Freetown Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Freetown

🇸🇱 Sierra Leone

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Freetown

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,818 in Freetown.

Cebu $934
Freetown $1,818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,527 in Freetown.

Cebu $1,415
Freetown $1,527

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,235 in Freetown.

Cebu $1,896
Freetown $1,235

Living in Cebu costs roughly 49% less than in Freetown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Freetown is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$2.05 SLL 46.9K

47.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$40.07 SLL 915.6K

-41.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$11.02 SLL 251.7K

-62.89%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.82 SLL 64.5K

-10.64%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.88 SLL 42.9K

-18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.87 SLL 19.8K

-43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.30 SLL 52.5K

-22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.47 SLL 79.3K

-34.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.49 SLL 56.9K

-21.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.65 SLL 14.7K

120.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.33 SLL 30.3K

-23.31%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.80 SLL 41.0K

14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$6.99 SLL 159.7K

40.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$10.13 SLL 231.4K

-54.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$5.34 SLL 122.0K

44.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$7.05 SLL 161.1K

-53.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.95 SLL 67.3K

-50.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.69 SLL 15.8K

242.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$4.90 SLL 112.0K

-68.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.05 SLL 46.7K

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.67 SLL 38.1K

19.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.15 SLL 26.3K

-41.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.06 SLL 69.9K

-1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$7.83 SLL 179.0K

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.60 SLL 36.7K

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.93 SLL 44.2K

-10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.45 SLL 10.3K

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.52 SLL 12.0K

42.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.49 SLL 11.2K

-57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.34 SLL 30.7K

-0.75%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$12.1K SLL 276.2M

80.05%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$25.0K SLL 571.5M

-22.44%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$58.9 SLL 1.3M

104.69%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$9.88 SLL 225.8K

46.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$54.4 SLL 1.2M

-48.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$9.90 SLL 226.2K

400.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$19.77 SLL 451.7K

287.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$49.66 SLL 1.1M

19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$919 SLL 21.0M

-44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,253 SLL 28.6M

-75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$3,520 SLL 80.4M

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$1,349 SLL 30.8M

-74.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Freetown: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Freetown

$1.3K 69.9% 305% $943

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Freetown

$263 * 14.7% 24.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Freetown

$123 6.9% 24.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Freetown

$36 * 2% 62.3% $59

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Freetown

$113 6.3% 27.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Freetown

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Freetown

$4.8 * 0.3% 69.2% $11

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 $506 in Cebu and $919 in Freetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Freetown pays 296% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $40.00 in Freetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $263 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇱 Freetown

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

08:27 8:27 AM

8 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

951,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sierra Leonean Leone SLL Le

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD

100,000 SLL = 3.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SLL, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Sierra Leonean Leone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 22,848 SLL (100,000 SLL = 4.38 USD). 1 EUR = 25,626 SLL (100,000 SLL = 3.9 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Freetown 14,840 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Freetown

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 Freetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 296% lower in Freetown. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $919 in Freetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Freetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $40.00 in Freetown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,818 in Freetown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Freetown. 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 Freetown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Freetown 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 95% less than in Freetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.