Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Imus

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $657 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Imus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $657 in Imus.

Cebu $915
Imus $657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $978 in Imus.

Cebu $1,418
Imus $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,299 in Imus.

Cebu $1,921
Imus $1,299

Living in Cebu is roughly 39% more expensive than in Imus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Imus 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$4.01 ₱252

-23.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$16.46 ₱1,037

45.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.88 ₱181

38.54%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.88 ₱118

32.98%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.61 ₱38.33

152.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.33 ₱20.94

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.03 ₱64.7

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.64 ₱103

32.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.67 ₱105

19.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.11 ₱69.9

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.01 ₱63.5

1.98%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.01 ₱126

1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$5.11 ₱322

99.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$3.36 ₱212

32.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.91 ₱498

-3.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.31 ₱145

43.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.59 ₱100

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.42 ₱152

-4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.84 ₱116

-19.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.69 ₱106

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.80 ₱113

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.65 ₱41.04

78.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.49 ₱30.78

38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.04 ₱191

-1.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$9.02 ₱568

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.09 ₱68.5

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.06 ₱130

-16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.24 ₱15.01

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$11.10 ₱699

11.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.79 ₱49.64

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.23 ₱14.51

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$1.89 ₱119

140.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.20 ₱75.5

10.00%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-0.61%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.53%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$125 ₱7,863

-5.08%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$15.76 ₱992

-9.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$23.73 ₱1,494

15.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$33.01 ₱2,078

-2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$4.61 ₱290

41.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.16 ₱325

4.65%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$132 ₱8,307

109.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$9,101 ₱573.0K

-13.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$28.92 ₱1,821

70.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$19.90 ₱1,253

23.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$73.0 ₱4,593

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$54.7 ₱3,441

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$118 ₱7,400

328.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$99.7 ₱6,275

205.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$201 ₱12.7K

434.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$169 ₱10.6K

275.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,374 ₱149.5K

20.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$978 ₱61.6K

92.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$174 ₱10.9K

93.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Imus: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Imus

$100 15.2% 67.3% $205

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Imus

$180 27.5% 13.9% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Imus

$164 25% 2.6% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Imus

$79 12.1% 15.8% $15

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Imus

$75 11.5% 14.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Imus

$43 6.6% 0.5% $0.2

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Imus

$14 2.1% 7.6% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $118 in Imus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 93% 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 $16.00 in Imus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $180 per month, with Imus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Imus

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

496,794

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Imus 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Imus

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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imus is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 93% 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 $118 in Imus. 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 $657 in Imus – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Imus runs roughly 11% 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 Imus gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Imus 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 Imus 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 Imus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.