For one person, living is cheaper in Kerman: $508 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Kerman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $508 in Kerman.
Cebu $918
Kerman $508
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $874 in Kerman.
Cebu $1,409
Kerman $874
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,239 in Kerman.
Cebu $1,900
Kerman $1,239
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 81% more expensive than in Kerman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Kerman62% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$4.10$4.10
-24.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$17.83$17.83
35.84%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$3.92$3.92
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.71$0.71
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.06$1.06
-
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$1.13$1.13
122.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.70$0.70
127.14%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.97$0.97
-45.36%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$0.56$0.56
242.86%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.52$0.52
161.54%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.71$2.71
-62.73%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$1.15$1.15
76.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$4.38$4.38
125.11%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$1.99$1.99
120.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$10.11$10.11
-24.83%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$0.63$0.63
423.81%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.02$2.02
-31.19%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$0.83$0.83
180.72%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$0.57$0.57
163.16%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$0.39$0.39
505.13%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.39$0.39
387.18%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$0.56$0.56
112.50%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.20$0.20
215.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$0.84$0.84
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.51$0.51
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.33$1.33
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$1.46$1.46
105.48%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.13$0.13
92.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$9.47$9.47
33.47%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$0.41$0.41
87.80%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.32$0.32
-28.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$2.42$2.42
84.30%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$0.08$0.08
1537.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$46.2K$46.2K
-54.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$41.7K$41.7K
-54.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$11.11$11.11
982.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$1.60$1.60
775.00%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$3.67$3.67
650.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$12.79$12.79
152.78%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$13.77$13.77
-51.71%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$1.95$1.95
189.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$107$107
157.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$2,436$2,436
225.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$22.35$22.35
120.72%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$65.2$65.2
-61.28%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$128$128
-39.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$57.0$57.0
0.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$338$338
47.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$168$168
83.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$835$835
29.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$395$395
55.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$914$914
215.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$507$507
277.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Kerman
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$201$201
72.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
24.3
-70.37%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Kerman: October 10, 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%
Kerman
$168 33.1% ↓ 45.6%$141
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Kerman
$108 21.2% ↓ 47.6%$98
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Kerman
$16 3.2% ↓ 89.9%$145
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Kerman
$123 24.1% ↑ 30.5%$29
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Kerman
$65 12.8% ↓ 26.6%$23
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Kerman
$17 3.3% ↓ 61.7%$27
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Kerman
$12 2.4% ↓ 23%$3.6
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Kerman
$395 31.8% ↓ 35.9%$221
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Kerman
$263 21.3% ↓ 45.4%$219
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Kerman
$18 1.5% ↓ 89.8%$158
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Kerman
$272 22% ↑ 30.5%$64
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Kerman
$220 17.7% ↓ 24.8%$72
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Kerman
$47 3.8% ↓ 49.8%$47
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Kerman
$24 2% ↓ 23.4%$7.4
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $338 in Kerman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 72% 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 $18.00 in Kerman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $108 per month, with Kerman 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 Kerman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kerman cheaper than Cebu?
Kerman is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Kerman?
Average pay runs 72% 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 Kerman?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $338 in Kerman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Kerman?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $508 in Kerman – a 81% 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 Kerman runs roughly 33% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Kerman?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kerman gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Kerman more family-friendly?
For families, Kerman 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 Kerman?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Kerman 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 Kerman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.