For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,001 in Korce, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Korce despite lower rent and utilities.
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 Korce actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,001 in Korce.
Cebu $918
Korce $1,001
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,483 in Korce.
Cebu $1,409
Korce $1,483
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,965 in Korce.
Cebu $1,900
Korce $1,965
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 8% less than in Korce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Korce26% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$6.07ALL 489
-49.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$37.94ALL 3,055
-36.16%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$5.99ALL 482
-34.56%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$1.92ALL 155
30.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$1.84ALL 148
-13.59%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.68ALL 55.0
-22.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$2.49ALL 201
-28.51%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$2.41ALL 194
-9.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.93ALL 155
-0.52%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$1.00ALL 80.2
36.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.08ALL 168
-51.44%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$2.57ALL 207
-21.01%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$10.26ALL 826
-3.90%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$8.69ALL 700
-49.48%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$13.92ALL 1,121
-45.40%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$1.22ALL 98.2
170.49%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.31ALL 186
-39.83%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$1.28ALL 103
82.03%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$1.64ALL 132
-8.54%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.05ALL 84.4
124.76%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.00ALL 80.3
90.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.05ALL 84.2
13.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.81ALL 65.4
-22.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$4.38ALL 353
-31.51%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$8.03ALL 647
-24.91%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.80ALL 145
-31.67%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$1.84ALL 148
-4.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Korce
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.64ALL 51.3
-60.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$18.41ALL 1,483
-31.34%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$3.72ALL 300
-79.30%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$3.74ALL 301
-93.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$18.53ALL 1,492
-75.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$2.24ALL 180
-41.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$33.5KALL 2.7M
-36.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$24.2KALL 1.9M
-20.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$59.9ALL 4,826
100.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$18.16ALL 1,462
-22.91%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$15.08ALL 1,214
82.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$33.08ALL 2,664
-2.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$18.66ALL 1,503
-64.36%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$9.92ALL 799
-43.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$224ALL 18.0K
23.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$44.80ALL 3,608
10.11%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$53.9ALL 4,336
-53.13%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$104ALL 8,376
-26.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$144ALL 11.6K
-60.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Korce
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$474ALL 38.2K
5.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$294ALL 23.7K
5.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$496ALL 39.9K
117.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$305ALL 24.6K
101.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$1,377ALL 110.9K
109.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$1,120ALL 90.2K
71.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Korce
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$670ALL 53.9K
-48.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
5
44.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Korce: October 11, 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%
Korce
$294 29.4% ↓ 4.8%$15
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Korce
$245 24.5% ↑ 19%$39
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Korce
$93 9.3% ↓ 42.4%$69
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Korce
$156 15.6% ↑ 65.9%$62
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Korce
$117 11.7% ↑ 32.5%$29
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Korce
$53 5.3% ↑ 21.3%$9.3
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Korce
$43 4.3% ↑ 179%$28
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Korce
$305 15.5% ↓ 50.4%$310
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Korce
$570 29% ↑ 18.1%$87
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Korce
$111 5.7% ↓ 36.7%$64
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Korce
$346 17.6% ↑ 65.9%$138
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Korce
$420 21.4% ↑ 43.7%$128
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Korce
$125 6.3% ↑ 32.6%$31
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Korce
$88 4.5% ↑ 178%$56
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $474 in Korce. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Korce pays 94% 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 $38.00 in Korce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $245 per month, with Cebu 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 Korce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Korce cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Korce?
On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Korce. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Korce?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $474 in Korce. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Korce?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,001 in Korce – a 9% 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 Cebu runs roughly 46% less than in Korce. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Korce?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,001 in Korce, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Korce. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Korce more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Korce, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Korce?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Korce 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Korce. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.