Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Isernia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,684 in Isernia, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Isernia
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Isernia Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Isernia

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Isernia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,684 in Isernia.

Cebu $918
Isernia $1,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,410 in Isernia.

Cebu $1,409
Isernia $2,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,137 in Isernia.

Cebu $1,900
Isernia $3,137

Living in Cebu costs roughly 45% less than in Isernia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Isernia is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$16.72 €14.87

-81.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$54.2 €48.21

-55.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.66 €6.81

-48.83%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.31 €1.17

91.60%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.17 €1.93

-26.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.09 €0.97

-51.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.88 €3.45

-54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.44 €3.06

-36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.57 €1.40

22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.75 €1.55

-22.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.91 €2.59

-65.29%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.74 €2.44

-25.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$15.33 €13.63

-35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$11.63 €10.35

-62.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$16.14 €14.36

-52.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.34 €2.08

41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.94 €1.72

-28.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.04 €1.81

14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.26 €2.01

-33.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.62 €1.44

45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.60 €1.42

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.18 €1.05

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.41 €0.37

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.77 €6.02

-55.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.27 €6.47

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.93 €1.72

-36.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.28 €2.03

-23.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.70 €1.51

-85.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$41.89 €37.26

-69.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.55 €4.94

-86.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.24 €2.00

-89.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$23.69 €21.07

-81.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.09 €1.86

-37.32%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.3K €32.3K

-41.43%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$35.7K €31.8K

-46.39%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$212 €188

-43.20%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$11.48 €10.21

21.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$30.18 €26.85

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$59.9 €53.3

-46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$23.05 €20.50

-71.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$8.46 €7.52

-33.22%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$740 €658

-62.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,588 €4,970

41.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$83.7 €74.4

-41.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$46.67 €41.51

-45.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$107 €95.6

-28.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$144 €128

-60.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$749 €666

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$607 €540

-49.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,004 €893

7.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$774 €689

-20.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,610 €2,322

10.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,142 €1,905

-10.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.92

83.67%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Isernia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Isernia

$607 36% 96.5% $298

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Isernia

$298 17.7% 44.6% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Isernia

$253 15% 56.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Isernia

$172 10.2% 83% $78

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Isernia

$212 12.6% 140% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Isernia

$77 4.6% 76% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Isernia

$65 3.9% 320% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $749 in Isernia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $54.0 in Isernia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $298 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇹 Isernia

🕒 Local time

04:18 4:18 AM

22:18 10:18 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

20,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Isernia 10,830 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Isernia

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 Isernia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $2,526 in Isernia 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $749 in Isernia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,684 in Isernia – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 231% less than in Isernia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,684 in Isernia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Isernia. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Isernia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Isernia 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Isernia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.