Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilifi: $647 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kilifi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $647 in Kilifi.

Cebu $934
Kilifi $647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,054 in Kilifi.

Cebu $1,415
Kilifi $1,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,461 in Kilifi.

Cebu $1,896
Kilifi $1,461

Living in Cebu is roughly 44% more expensive than in Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Kilifi 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$1.91 KES 247

58.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$50.5 KES 6,543

-53.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$2.24 KES 291

82.59%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.89 KES 246

33.33%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.80 KES 104

92.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.74 KES 96.4

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.58 KES 205

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.04 KES 135

87.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.88 KES 115

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.99 KES 258

-48.74%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.98 KES 257

4.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$7.64 KES 991

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.35 KES 304

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.68 KES 87.6

113.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.73 KES 225

36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.45 KES 58.1

242.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.76 KES 98.3

210.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.73 KES 95.3

172.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.24 KES 31.22

179.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$12.47 KES 1,618

-49.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.71 KES 222

-23.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.80 KES 104

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$27.29 KES 3,540

-53.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.32 KES 171

0.76%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,563

$15.59 KES 2,022

673.44%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$10.34 KES 1,341

39.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$25.07 KES 3,251

12.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$27.64 KES 3,584

18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$7.63 KES 989

-28.44%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$164 KES 21.3K

66.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$4,927 KES 639.0K

65.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$9.82 KES 1,273

404.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$8.62 KES 1,118

188.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$15.27 KES 1,981

401.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$17.15 KES 2,225

245.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$322 KES 41.7K

57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$304 KES 39.4K

1.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$271 KES 35.2K

287.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$553 KES 71.7K

11.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$228 KES 29.6K

49.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Kilifi

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Kilifi

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $322 in Kilifi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 50% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $50.0 in Kilifi. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $123, with Kilifi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

08:09 8:09 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

122,899

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Kilifi 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kilifi

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 Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kilifi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $506 in Cebu versus $322 in Kilifi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $647 in Kilifi – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kilifi runs roughly 116% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kilifi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kilifi 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 Kilifi 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 Kilifi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.