Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kiambu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiambu: $498 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kiambu
Learn more

Kiambu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Kiambu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kiambu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $498 in Kiambu.

Cebu $918
Kiambu $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $818 in Kiambu.

Cebu $1,409
Kiambu $818

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

Cebu $1,900
Kiambu $1,137

Living in Cebu is roughly 84% more expensive than in Kiambu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Kiambu 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$6.17 KES 800

-49.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$35.00 KES 4,537

-30.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.47 KES 838

-39.41%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.67 KES 347

-5.99%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.63 KES 81.4

152.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.60 KES 78.1

-11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.26 KES 293

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.64 KES 342

-17.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.54 KES 69.6

255.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.55 KES 71.8

147.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.88 KES 243

-46.28%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.35 KES 175

50.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.52 KES 1,364

-6.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.23 KES 807

-29.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$3.99 KES 518

90.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.39 KES 440

-2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.09 KES 141

27.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.74 KES 95.8

214.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.59 KES 77.0

154.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.70 KES 90.9

237.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.71 KES 92.6

167.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.30 KES 38.34

296.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.41 KES 53.0

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.57 KES 463

-15.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$11.46 KES 1,486

-47.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.20 KES 285

-44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.68 KES 347

-34.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.69 KES 89.1

-63.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.57 KES 203

-50.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.40 KES 51.9

-42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.86 KES 371

55.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.59 KES 206

-17.61%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

-1.39%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

-4.28%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$55.8 KES 7,240

115.31%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$7.54 KES 978

85.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$34.45 KES 4,467

-20.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.92 KES 767

-4.56%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$249 KES 32.3K

10.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-35.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$28.53 KES 3,698

72.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$28.62 KES 3,710

-11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$70.2 KES 9,097

9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$57.7 KES 7,478

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$114 KES 14.8K

337.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,160 KES 150.4K

148.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$124 KES 16.1K

177.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

14.71

-51.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Kiambu

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Kiambu

$177 35.5% 14.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Kiambu

$98 19.6% 39.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Kiambu

$83 16.7% 11.4% $11

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kiambu

$122 24.6% 38.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Kiambu

$12 * 2.4% 72.9% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Kiambu

$6.3 * 1.3% 59.4% $9.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $114 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 178% 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 $35.00 in Kiambu. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $177, with Kiambu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇪 Kiambu

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

16:58 4:58 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

147,870

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Kiambu 9,710 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kiambu

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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $500 in Cebu versus $114 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $498 in Kiambu – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Kiambu 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 Kiambu 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 Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.