Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Gizo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $2,121 in Gizo.

Cebu $934
Gizo $2,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $3,041 in Gizo.

Cebu $1,415
Gizo $3,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $3,960 in Gizo.

Cebu $1,896
Gizo $3,960

Living in Cebu costs roughly 56% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Gizo is 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$3.15 SBD 25.40

-3.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$56.5 SBD 456

-58.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$15.76 SBD 127

-74.05%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.76 SBD 22.25

-8.70%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.26 SBD 10.17

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.25 SBD 10.10

-60.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.55 SBD 20.61

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.53 SBD 20.43

-10.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$3.29 SBD 26.57

-40.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.32 SBD 10.65

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.40 SBD 11.32

-27.14%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$7.24 SBD 58.5

-71.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$8.64 SBD 69.8

13.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.33 SBD 51.1

-27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$8.74 SBD 70.6

-11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-51.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$6.01 SBD 48.50

-75.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$6.33 SBD 51.2

-62.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$3.04 SBD 24.56

-49.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.03 SBD 24.49

-22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.41 SBD 19.50

-17.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$2.43 SBD 19.61

-52.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.33 SBD 10.77

-49.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.27 SBD 34.49

-29.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$12.57 SBD 102

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.89 SBD 15.24

-30.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.19 SBD 17.67

-21.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.39 SBD 3.12

-35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$31.04 SBD 251

-59.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$1.23 SBD 9.91

-39.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.45 SBD 19.76

-91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$12.41 SBD 100

-65.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.77 SBD 14.25

-24.86%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$20.6K SBD 166.3K

5.68%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$21.5K SBD 173.4K

-9.66%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$756 SBD 6,107

-84.06%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$13.69 SBD 111

5.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$125 SBD 1,008

-77.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$18.41 SBD 149

77.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$6.05 SBD 48.87

5.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$4.39 SBD 35.43

24.37%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$121 SBD 981

125.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

550.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$24.88 SBD 201

99.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$92.0 SBD 743

-72.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$100 SBD 809

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$90.5 SBD 731

-34.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$608 SBD 4,908

-16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$594 SBD 4,799

-47.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$618 SBD 4,991

70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,234 SBD 9,964

-49.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$86.8K SBD 700.6K

-96.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$395 SBD 3,192

-13.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

16.33

-55.91%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Gizo

$594 27.2% 92.1% $285

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Gizo

$354 16.2% 68.3% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Gizo

$895 40.9% 448% $732

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Gizo

$138 6.3% 46.2% $44

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Gizo

$133 6.1% 50.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 37.7% $16

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 198% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $608 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gizo pays 16% 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 $56.0 in Gizo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $354 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

3 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

7,177

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, 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).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Gizo 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Gizo

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 Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Gizo. 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 $608 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $2,121 in Gizo – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 145% less than in Gizo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gizo. 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 Gizo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Gizo 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 127% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.