Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Iligan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $744 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Iligan City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $744 in Iligan City.

Cebu $915
Iligan City $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,121 in Iligan City.

Cebu $1,418
Iligan City $1,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,498 in Iligan City.

Cebu $1,921
Iligan City $1,498

Living in Cebu is roughly 23% more expensive than in Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Iligan City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$3.82 ₱241

-20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$14.87 ₱936

61.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.74 ₱172

45.62%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.44 ₱154

2.46%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.67 ₱42.23

129.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.33 ₱21.02

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.13 ₱71.1

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.99 ₱126

9.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.92 ₱121

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.11 ₱69.8

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.93 ₱58.3

10.75%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.94 ₱122

4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$5.55 ₱349

83.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.24 ₱267

4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.03 ₱443

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.44 ₱154

35.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.59 ₱100

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.41 ₱152

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.18 ₱74.4

26.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.98 ₱125

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.97 ₱124

-1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.00 ₱62.7

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.54 ₱33.96

25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.33 ₱209

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$7.75 ₱488

-19.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$0.98 ₱61.9

25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.94 ₱122

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.24 ₱14.97

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$10.68 ₱673

15.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.73 ₱45.73

8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.24 ₱15.09

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$2.05 ₱129

121.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.27 ₱79.7

3.94%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

1.33%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

-5.65%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$127 ₱7,992

-6.62%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$15.20 ₱957

-6.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$24.59 ₱1,548

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$32.05 ₱2,018

0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$4.84 ₱305

34.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.09 ₱321

6.09%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$146 ₱9,209

88.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$6,850 ₱431.3K

14.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$32.15 ₱2,024

53.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$21.34 ₱1,344

15.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$70.8 ₱4,455

8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$61.7 ₱3,884

-4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$111 ₱7,004

352.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$173 ₱10.9K

76.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$507 ₱31.9K

111.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$347 ₱21.9K

81.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,447 ₱154.1K

17.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$866 ₱54.5K

116.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$194 ₱12.2K

73.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.79

6.04%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Iligan City

$173 23.3% 43.2% $132

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Iligan City

$183 24.6% 12.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Iligan City

$167 22.4% 4.1% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Iligan City

$84 11.3% 11.2% $11

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Iligan City

$82 11% 6.8% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Iligan City

$42 5.7% 2% $0.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Iligan City

$14 1.8% 10.5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $111 in Iligan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 73% 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 $15.00 in Iligan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $183 per month, with Iligan City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

342,618

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cebu Iligan City 230 km

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Cebu
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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 Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iligan City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $111 in Iligan City. 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 $744 in Iligan City – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Iligan City runs roughly 16% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Iligan City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Iligan City 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Iligan City 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 Iligan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.