Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Gan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gan: $43.76 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Gan

🇲🇻 Maldives

$43.76

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Gan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $44 in Gan.

Cebu $943
Gan $44

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $71 in Gan.

Cebu $1,437
Gan $71

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $98 in Gan.

Cebu $1,930
Gan $98

Living in Cebu is roughly 2056% more expensive than in Gan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Gan 97% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$5.47 MVR 84.3

-29.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

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

$1.60 ₱101

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.8

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱770

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

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

$124 ₱7,814

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,767

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,103

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

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

$271 ₱17.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,041

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,855

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,557

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.7K

$555 MVR 8,551

446.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Gan

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Gan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Gan

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Gan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Gan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Gan

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Gan

–

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇻 Gan

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

23:21 11:21 PM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.73 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.33 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Gan 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Gan

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 Gan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gan is about 95% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $66 in Gan 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Gan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.