For one person, living is cheaper in Hisar: $316 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Hisar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $316 in Hisar.
Cebu $918
Hisar $316
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $489 in Hisar.
Cebu $1,409
Hisar $489
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $663 in Hisar.
Cebu $1,900
Hisar $663
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 190% more expensive than in Hisar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Hisar77% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$2.04₹194
51.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$6.12₹581
295.75%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$3.35₹318
17.01%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$1.02₹96.7
146.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.35₹32.99
354.29%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.18₹17.08
194.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$2.11₹200
-15.64%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$3.21₹305
-32.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$0.71₹67.5
170.42%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.44₹42.11
209.09%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$0.79₹74.6
27.85%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$0.89₹84.9
128.09%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$4.92₹468
100.41%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$2.58₹245
70.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$1.31₹125
151.91%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$0.75₹71.0
85.33%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$0.67₹63.7
247.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$0.62₹59.0
141.94%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$0.30₹28.87
686.67%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.31₹29.44
512.90%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$0.32₹30.69
271.87%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.27₹25.58
133.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$4.91₹466
-38.90%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$5.07₹481
18.93%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.64₹156
-25.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$1.86₹177
-5.91%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$3.32₹316
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.44₹41.75
-43.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$8.28₹786
52.66%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$0.51₹48.02
50.98%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.20₹18.95
15.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$1.64₹156
171.95%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.12₹107
16.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$12.7K₹1.2M
67.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$20.6K₹2.0M
-7.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$38.61₹3,666
211.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$3.55₹337
294.37%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$6.64₹630
314.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$12.90₹1,225
150.62%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$5.99₹569
11.02%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$2.62₹249
115.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$58.8₹5,580
368.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$1,760₹167.2K
349.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$22.58₹2,145
118.47%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$17.93₹1,702
40.77%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$35.26₹3,349
118.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$22.69₹2,155
152.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$76.0₹7,215
557.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$44.76₹4,250
589.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$197₹18.7K
447.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$107₹10.2K
474.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$1,415₹134.3K
104.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$507₹48.1K
277.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Hisar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$316₹30.0K
9.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
8
-10.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Hisar: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Hisar
$45 14.2% ↓ 85.5%$264
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Hisar
$91 28.8% ↓ 55.9%$115
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Hisar
$49 15.4% ↓ 69.8%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Hisar
$44 14% ↓ 52.8%$50
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Hisar
$58 18.2% ↓ 34.7%$31
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Hisar
$18 5.7% ↓ 58.4%$25
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Hisar
$12 3.7% ↓ 25.9%$4
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Hisar
$107 16.2% ↓ 82.6%$508
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Hisar
$197 29.8% ↓ 59.1%$285
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Hisar
$52 7.9% ↓ 70.2%$123
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Hisar
$98 14.9% ↓ 52.8%$110
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Hisar
$141 21.3% ↓ 51.6%$151
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Hisar
$42 6.4% ↓ 55%$52
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Hisar
$24 3.6% ↓ 24.3%$7.7
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $76.0 in Hisar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 10% 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $6.00 in Hisar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $91.0 per month, with Hisar cheaper across the board.
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 Hisar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hisar cheaper than Cebu?
Hisar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 190% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Hisar?
Average pay runs 10% higher in Cebu, 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 Hisar?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $76.0 in Hisar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Hisar?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $316 in Hisar – a 190% 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 Hisar runs roughly 53% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Hisar?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Hisar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Hisar more family-friendly?
For families, Hisar is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Hisar?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Hisar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Hisar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.