Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Gresik

For one person, living is cheaper in Gresik: $593 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu, Philippines
Gresik, Indonesia
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Gresik
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$593
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Gresik

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $593 in Gresik.

  • Cebu $934
  • Gresik $593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $903 in Gresik.

  • Cebu $1,423
  • Gresik $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,213 in Gresik.

  • Cebu $1,913
  • Gresik $1,213

Living in Cebu is roughly 57% more expensive than in Gresik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Gresik 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.79 ₱243
$1.08 Rp 19.5K
250.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.33 ₱1,493
$9.76 Rp 175.9K
139.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.94 ₱252
$3.00 Rp 54.1K
31.33%
Cappuccino
$2.54 ₱163
$1.61 Rp 28.9K
57.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ₱100
$0.42 Rp 7,608
273.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₱29.87
$0.22 Rp 3,968
113.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.77 ₱113
$2.15 Rp 38.8K
-17.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 ₱142
$2.06 Rp 37.1K
7.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 ₱121
$1.19 Rp 21.4K
59.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱87.3
$1.26 Rp 22.8K
7.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ₱59.9
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
5.62%
Eggs
$1.99 ₱127
$1.09 Rp 19.6K
82.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.70 ₱621
$7.72 Rp 139.1K
25.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.32 ₱276
$2.97 Rp 53.5K
45.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.51 ₱481
$7.29 Rp 131.5K
3.02%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱212
$1.99 Rp 35.8K
66.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 ₱87.6
$1.24 Rp 22.4K
10.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ₱150
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
28.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱95.5
$1.51 Rp 27.3K
-1.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 ₱147
$1.35 Rp 24.3K
70.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 ₱120
$1.94 Rp 35.0K
-3.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₱70.4
$0.75 Rp 13.6K
46.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱40.42
$0.40 Rp 7,163
57.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.86 ₱183
$1.82 Rp 32.9K
57.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.08 ₱389
$10.97 Rp 197.7K
-44.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₱81.6
$1.73 Rp 31.2K
-26.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₱110
$2.77 Rp 49.9K
-37.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱14.01
$0.23 Rp 4,148
-4.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.34 ₱790
$11.74 Rp 211.6K
5.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱47.60
$0.50 Rp 8,928
48.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱14.10
$0.43 Rp 7,747
-48.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.28 ₱274
$2.66 Rp 47.9K
60.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱83.8
$0.80 Rp 14.4K
63.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K ₱1.3M
$35.7K Rp 642.7M
-41.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$25.2K Rp 454.3M
-24.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 ₱7,577
$84.7 Rp 1.5M
39.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.76 ₱1,009
$4.68 Rp 84.4K
236.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.33 ₱1,813
$19.38 Rp 349.3K
46.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.94 ₱2,108
$23.57 Rp 424.9K
39.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.49 ₱415
$8.38 Rp 151.0K
-22.55%
Cinema Ticket
$5.45 ₱349
$2.54 Rp 45.8K
114.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$276 ₱17.6K
$52.9 Rp 953.2K
421.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,789 ₱498.4K
$9,259 Rp 166.9M
-15.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.18 ₱3,083
$41.12 Rp 741.2K
17.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.47 ₱1,566
$22.39 Rp 403.5K
9.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.3 ₱4,817
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
0.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.0 ₱3,713
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
-21.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$477 ₱30.5K
$167 Rp 3.0M
186.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$322 ₱20.6K
$114 Rp 2.1M
182.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 ₱61.6K
$307 Rp 5.5M
213.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$626 ₱40.0K
$241 Rp 4.3M
159.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,551 ₱291.2K
$1,216 Rp 21.9M
274.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,028 ₱193.8K
$906 Rp 16.3M
234.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Gresik
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$333 ₱21.3K
$108 Rp 2.0M
207.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
7.5
-4.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gresik: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$322
Gresik
$114 64.6% $208
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$204
Gresik
$176 13.4% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
Gresik
$109 33.1% $54
Eating Out
Cebu
$94
Gresik
$54 42.2% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$93
Gresik
$96 3.1% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Gresik
$29 34.6% $15
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Gresik
$15 1.6% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $167 in Gresik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $10 in Gresik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $176 per month, with Gresik cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇮🇩 Gresik
🕒 Local time
18:01 6:01 PM
17:01 5:01 PM
1 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Gresik 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Gresik

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 Gresik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gresik cheaper than Cebu?
Gresik is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Gresik?
Average pay in Cebu is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Gresik?
Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Cebu versus $167 in Gresik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Gresik?
All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $593 in Gresik – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Gresik runs roughly 5% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Is it better to live in Cebu or in Gresik?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Gresik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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