Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Iganga

For one person, living is cheaper in Iganga: $414 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Iganga
🇺🇬 Uganda
$414
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Iganga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $414 in Iganga.

  • Cebu $918
  • Iganga $414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $653 in Iganga.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Iganga $653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $893 in Iganga.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Iganga $893

Living in Cebu is roughly 122% more expensive than in Iganga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Iganga 69% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$2.54 UGX 10.5K
21.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$24.76 UGX 101.9K
-2.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$7.32 UGX 30.1K
-46.45%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.51 UGX 10.3K
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.36 UGX 1,466
341.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.28 UGX 1,152
89.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.26 UGX 5,197
41.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$1.83 UGX 7,541
18.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.77 UGX 3,152
149.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.93 UGX 3,836
46.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.32 UGX 5,445
-23.48%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.64 UGX 6,735
23.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$4.45 UGX 18.3K
121.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$4.70 UGX 19.3K
-6.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$4.90 UGX 20.2K
55.10%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.17 UGX 8,932
52.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.24 UGX 5,115
12.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.32 UGX 5,439
76.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.19 UGX 4,878
26.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.26 UGX 5,164
87.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.22 UGX 4,999
55.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.76 UGX 3,110
56.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.49 UGX 2,006
28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$2.42 UGX 9,952
23.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$7.25 UGX 29.8K
-16.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.07 UGX 4,415
14.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.89 UGX 7,769
-7.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$0.52 UGX 2,152
48.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.30 UGX 1,217
-23.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$3.17 UGX 13.1K
40.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.44 UGX 5,933
-9.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$7,512 UGX 30.9M
182.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$7,508 UGX 30.9M
155.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$70.6 UGX 290.3K
70.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$11.59 UGX 47.7K
20.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$34.96 UGX 143.8K
-21.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$7.25 UGX 29.8K
-22.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$253 UGX 1.0M
8.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$8,336 UGX 34.3M
-5.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$14.28 UGX 58.7K
245.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$13.01 UGX 53.5K
94.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$32.05 UGX 131.8K
140.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$43.91 UGX 180.6K
30.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Iganga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
20.75
-65.30%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Iganga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Iganga
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Iganga
$149 27.8% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Iganga
$117 27.6% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Iganga
$46 50.5% $47
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Iganga
$85 3.7% $3.3
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Iganga
$15 * 66.8% $29
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Iganga
$2 * 87.2% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Iganga. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $149, with Iganga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇺🇬 Iganga
🕒 Local time
15:46 3:46 PM
10:46 10:46 AM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
65,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Iganga 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Iganga

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 Iganga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iganga cheaper than Cebu?
Iganga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $621 in Iganga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Iganga?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Iganga?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $414 in Iganga – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Iganga?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Iganga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Iganga more family-friendly?
For families, Iganga 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 Iganga?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Iganga 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 Iganga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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