Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Isa Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Isa Town: $750 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Isa Town

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Isa Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $750 in Isa Town.

Cebu $918
Isa Town $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,774 in Isa Town.

Cebu $1,409
Isa Town $1,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,797 in Isa Town.

Cebu $1,900
Isa Town $2,797

Living in Cebu is roughly 22% more expensive than in Isa Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Isa Town 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$8.17 BHD 3.08

-62.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$26.73 BHD 10.09

-9.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.59 BHD 2.49

-40.52%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.74 BHD 1.79

-47.05%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.88 BHD 0.33

80.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.25 BHD 0.09

112.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.46 BHD 2.44

-72.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.29 BHD 0.49

48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.29 BHD 0.49

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-81.43%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.21 BHD 1.21

-36.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.65 BHD 4.02

-7.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$7.77 BHD 2.93

-43.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$21.13 BHD 7.97

-64.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.63 BHD 0.99

25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.70 BHD 1.02

-48.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.69 BHD 1.02

-13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.60 BHD 0.98

-42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.59 BHD 0.98

-8.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.63 BHD 0.61

16.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.52 BHD 0.20

128.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.04 BHD 0.39

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.03 BHD 0.39

-75.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$13.05 BHD 4.92

-3.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.21 BHD 1.96

-85.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.81 BHD 0.30

61.73%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$13.0K BHD 4,899

47.49%

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

$120 ₱7,569

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

$14.00 ₱882

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$40.25 BHD 15.19

-31.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$106 BHD 40.12

-69.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$10.55 BHD 3.98

-46.45%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,830 BHD 2,955

1.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$40.46 BHD 15.27

21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$12.98 BHD 4.90

94.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$80.4 BHD 30.34

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$106 BHD 40.10

-46.16%

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

$1,308 BHD 494

-17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,064 BHD 402

-42.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,056 BHD 398

-67.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Isa Town: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Isa Town

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Isa Town

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Isa Town

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Isa Town

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Isa Town

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Isa Town

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Isa Town

–

Cost Breakdown

Isa Town pays 205% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $27.00 in Isa Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $273 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇭 Isa Town

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

36,876

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Isa Town 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Isa Town

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 Isa Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isa Town is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 205% lower in Isa Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $750 in Isa Town – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Isa Town gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Isa Town 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 Isa Town 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 Isa Town 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.