For one person, living is cheaper in Kannur: $329 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Kannur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $329 in Kannur.
Cebu $918
Kannur $329
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $519 in Kannur.
Cebu $1,409
Kannur $519
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $710 in Kannur.
Cebu $1,900
Kannur $710
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 179% more expensive than in Kannur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Kannur76% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$1.00₹95.4
209.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$8.18₹776
196.09%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$3.90₹370
0.51%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$1.26₹120
99.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.44₹41.39
261.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.16₹15.30
231.25%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.56₹148
14.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$2.14₹203
1.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$0.54₹51.7
255.56%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.44₹41.83
209.09%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$0.51₹48.79
98.04%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$0.75₹71.5
170.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$5.07₹482
94.48%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$2.80₹266
56.79%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.23₹212
47.98%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$0.64₹61.1
117.19%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$0.75₹70.8
210.67%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$0.41₹38.85
265.85%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$0.34₹31.99
594.12%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.33₹31.29
475.76%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$0.38₹35.83
213.16%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.28₹26.49
125.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$4.13₹393
-27.36%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$3.20₹304
88.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.80₹171
-31.67%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.00₹190
-12.50%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$3.18₹302
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.20₹18.97
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$5.37₹510
135.38%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$1.29₹122
-40.31%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.30₹28.57
-23.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$1.02₹96.8
337.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.09₹103
20.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$8,990₹853.7K
136.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$13.8K₹1.3M
38.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$31.51₹2,992
281.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$2.72₹258
414.71%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$6.36₹604
333.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$10.20₹968
216.96%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$9.23₹876
-27.95%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$2.23₹211
153.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$51.2₹4,864
437.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$1,167₹110.8K
578.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$21.08₹2,001
134.01%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$14.80₹1,405
70.54%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$33.15₹3,147
132.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$31.73₹3,013
80.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$132₹12.6K
277.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$80.0₹7,596
286.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$182₹17.3K
493.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$177₹16.8K
247.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$719₹68.3K
301.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$1,791₹170.0K
7.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Kannur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$267₹25.3K
29.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
10.33
-30.30%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Kannur: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Kannur
$80 24.3% ↓ 74.1%$229
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Kannur
$90 27.4% ↓ 56.2%$116
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Kannur
$41 12.3% ↓ 74.9%$121
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Kannur
$45 13.8% ↓ 51.7%$49
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Kannur
$49 15% ↓ 44.1%$39
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Kannur
$15 4.5% ↓ 66.4%$29
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Kannur
$9 2.7% ↓ 42.5%$6.6
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Kannur
$177 24.9% ↓ 71.3%$438
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Kannur
$198 28% ↓ 58.9%$284
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Kannur
$43 6.1% ↓ 75.4%$132
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Kannur
$101 14.2% ↓ 51.7%$108
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Kannur
$133 18.8% ↓ 54.4%$159
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Kannur
$39 5.4% ↓ 59%$55
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Kannur
$18 2.6% ↓ 42.1%$13
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $132 in Kannur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 30% 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 $8.00 in Kannur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $90.0 per month, with Kannur cheaper across the board.
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 Kannur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kannur cheaper than Cebu?
Kannur is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 179% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Kannur?
Average pay runs 30% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Kannur?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $132 in Kannur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Kannur?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $329 in Kannur – a 179% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Kannur runs roughly 135% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $800 enough for either Cebu or Kannur?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Kannur gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Kannur more family-friendly?
For families, Kannur 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Kannur?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Kannur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Kannur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.