Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Goes

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,593 in Goes, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Goes
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Goes Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Goes

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Goes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $2,593 in Goes.

Cebu $915
Goes $2,593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $3,733 in Goes.

Cebu $1,418
Goes $3,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $4,873 in Goes.

Cebu $1,921
Goes $4,873

Living in Cebu costs roughly 65% less than in Goes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Goes is 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱194

$16.51 €14.72

-81.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,525

$72.7 €64.8

-66.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱254

$14.84 €13.23

-73.11%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱159

$4.89 €4.36

-48.88%

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

$1.54 ₱98.0

$3.24 €2.89

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.66

$2.81 €2.50

-82.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱113

$6.57 €5.85

-72.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱138

$5.67 €5.05

-61.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱127

$1.47 €1.31

36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱87.0

$2.40 €2.14

-42.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.5

$3.71 €3.31

-72.24%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱129

$5.25 €4.68

-61.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱648

$15.14 €13.49

-32.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱283

$14.91 €13.29

-70.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱487

$15.87 €14.14

-51.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱210

$2.78 €2.48

19.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱92.7

$2.48 €2.21

-41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱147

$1.87 €1.66

24.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.9

$5.62 €5.01

-73.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.81 €1.61

29.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱123

$2.80 €2.50

-30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.7

$1.28 €1.14

-9.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱43.30

$0.87 €0.77

-21.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱190

$14.06 €12.53

-78.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱397

$6.98 €6.22

-10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱78.0

$1.29 €1.15

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.61 €2.33

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.49

$3.40 €3.03

-93.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱784

$88.0 €78.4

-85.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱50.4

$4.07 €3.63

-80.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$2.80 €2.50

-92.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱288

$29.59 €26.38

-84.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.7

$2.42 €2.16

-45.45%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$42.0K €37.5K

-50.02%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$38.6K €34.4K

-49.75%

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

$119 ₱7,534

$340 €303

-65.16%

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

$14.22 ₱904

$22.78 €20.30

-37.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,746

$61.6 €54.9

-55.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,053

$40.24 €35.86

-19.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱413

$23.47 €20.92

-72.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱343

$14.53 €12.95

-62.84%

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

$276 ₱17.5K

$2,996 €2,670

-90.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱499.9K

$5,979 €5,329

31.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,137

$93.8 €83.6

-47.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,562

$42.63 €37.99

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,870

$86.7 €77.3

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,741

$99.0 €88.2

-40.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱32.0K

$1,415 €1,261

-64.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.4K

$1,172 €1,045

-74.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱68.3K

$2,429 €2,165

-55.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱40.2K

$1,880 €1,675

-66.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱182.4K

$5,254 €4,683

-45.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱119.3K

$4,444 €3,961

-57.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.3K

$3,080 €2,745

-89.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.95

82.28%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Goes: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Goes

$1.2K 45.2% 285% $868

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Goes

$359 13.8% 71.1% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Goes

$425 16.4% 165% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Goes

$145 5.6% 53.8% $51

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Goes

$304 11.7% 246% $216

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Goes

$69 2.7% 60.8% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Goes

$120 4.6% 690% $105

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $1,415 in Goes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Goes pays about 9.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Cebu vs $73 in Goes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $359 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇱 Goes

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

08:46 8:46 AM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

27,495

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 63.55 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.3 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Goes 11,070 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Goes

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 Goes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 184% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Cebu. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $1,415 in Goes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $2,593 in Goes – a 184% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 86% less than in Goes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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 Goes 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 65% less than in Goes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.