Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $725 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Iloilo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $725 in Iloilo.

Cebu $934
Iloilo $725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,045 in Iloilo.

Cebu $1,423
Iloilo $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,366 in Iloilo.

Cebu $1,913
Iloilo $1,366

Living in Cebu is roughly 29% more expensive than in Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Iloilo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$2.76 ₱176

37.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$18.94 ₱1,210

23.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$3.09 ₱198

27.51%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.04 ₱131

24.51%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.67 ₱42.66

134.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.33 ₱21.26

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.08 ₱68.8

63.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.76 ₱112

26.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.64 ₱104

15.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$1.13 ₱72.0

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.82 ₱52.5

14.63%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.96 ₱125

1.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$6.02 ₱384

61.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$3.95 ₱252

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$6.21 ₱397

20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$3.15 ₱201

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.03 ₱65.7

33.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.88 ₱184

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.42 ₱90.9

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$2.28 ₱146

0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$2.68 ₱171

-30.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$1.39 ₱88.6

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.81 ₱51.8

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.96 ₱189

-3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$6.25 ₱399

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$1.11 ₱71.0

14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.22 ₱77.9

40.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.21 ₱13.37

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$7.20 ₱460

71.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.79 ₱50.7

-6.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.32 ₱20.71

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$2.28 ₱146

87.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.16 ₱74.2

12.93%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

-2.01%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-0.87%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$62.9 ₱4,021

88.16%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$9.13 ₱583

72.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$26.66 ₱1,704

6.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$9.52 ₱608

246.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$4.64 ₱296

17.46%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$31.62 ₱2,020

772.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$23.81 ₱1,521

102.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$17.38 ₱1,110

40.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$54.7 ₱3,495

37.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$23.87 ₱1,525

143.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$396 ₱25.3K

20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$290 ₱18.5K

10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$1,158 ₱74.0K

-16.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$419 ₱26.8K

49.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$3,698 ₱236.3K

23.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$998 ₱63.8K

203.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$200 ₱12.8K

66.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.33

-1.77%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Iloilo

$290 40.1% 9.8% $31

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Iloilo

$184 25.4% 9.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Iloilo

$99 13.6% 39.2% $64

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Iloilo

$69 9.5% 26.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Iloilo

$54 7.4% 41.9% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Iloilo

$19 2.6% 57.1% $25

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Iloilo

$10 1.4% 30.6% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $396 in Iloilo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 67% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $19 in Iloilo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $184 per month, with Iloilo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

457,626

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cebu Iloilo 150 km

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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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iloilo is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $477 in Cebu versus $396 in Iloilo. 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 $725 in Iloilo – Iloilo is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Iloilo runs roughly 42% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Iloilo 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 Iloilo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Iloilo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.