Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Groningen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,285 in Groningen, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Groningen
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Groningen Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Groningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Groningen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $2,285 in Groningen.

Cebu $934
Groningen $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $3,459 in Groningen.

Cebu $1,415
Groningen $3,459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $4,632 in Groningen.

Cebu $1,896
Groningen $4,632

Living in Cebu costs roughly 59% less than in Groningen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Groningen is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$20.40 €18.20

-85.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$102 €90.9

-76.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$16.01 €14.29

-74.45%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.57 €4.08

-44.86%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$3.77 €3.37

-59.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$3.14 €2.80

-84.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$5.67 €5.06

-68.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$5.65 €5.04

-60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.42 €1.27

37.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$2.57 €2.29

-44.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.54 €2.27

-59.84%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$4.64 €4.14

-55.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$12.50 €11.16

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$13.48 €12.03

-65.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$18.02 €16.08

-57.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.02 €2.70

9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.39 €2.13

-39.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.53 €2.26

-6.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$4.72 €4.21

-67.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.04 €1.82

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.64 €1.47

21.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.26 €1.13

-8.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.28 €1.14

-47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$14.70 €13.12

-79.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$6.59 €5.88

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.45 €1.30

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.46 €2.20

-29.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$4.19 €3.74

-94.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$68.2 €60.9

-81.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$6.81 €6.08

-89.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.76 €2.47

-92.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$29.10 €25.97

-85.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.62 €2.33

-49.24%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$41.4K €37.0K

-47.44%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$38.8K €34.6K

-49.95%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$234 €209

-48.40%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$20.80 €18.56

-30.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$50.0 €44.63

-43.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$39.57 €35.31

-17.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$14.76 €13.18

-56.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$16.89 €15.07

-67.67%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$1,799 €1,606

-84.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$7,677 €6,851

6.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$105 €93.8

-52.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$44.38 €39.60

-43.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$103 €92.3

-25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$197 €176

-69.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,310 €1,169

-61.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$925 €825

-66.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,972 €1,760

-46.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,458 €1,302

-57.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$5,263 €4,697

-44.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$3,970 €3,543

-52.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$3,025 €2,700

-88.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.43

109.91%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Groningen: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Groningen

$925 40.4% 199% $615

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Groningen

$346 15.1% 64.4% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Groningen

$304 13.3% 86.4% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Groningen

$203 8.9% 114% $108

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Groningen

$333 14.6% 277% $245

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Groningen

$73 3.2% 68.2% $30

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Groningen

$106 4.6% 584% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $1,310 in Groningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 787% 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 $102 in Groningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $346 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇱 Groningen

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

06:55 6:55 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

201,242

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Groningen 10,820 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Groningen

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 Groningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 145% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 787% lower in Groningen. 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 $1,310 in Groningen. 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 $2,285 in Groningen – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 439% less than in Groningen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,285 in Groningen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Groningen. 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 Groningen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Groningen 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 145% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.