For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,235 in Koura, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Koura actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,235 in Koura.
Cebu $918
Koura $1,235
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,937 in Koura.
Cebu $1,409
Koura $1,937
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,638 in Koura.
Cebu $1,900
Koura $2,638
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 26% less than in Koura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Koura9% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$11.95LBP 1.1M
-74.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$68.5LBP 6.1M
-64.64%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$10.07LBP 901.7K
-61.07%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$4.49LBP 402.1K
-44.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$2.31LBP 206.9K
-31.17%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.91LBP 81.4K
-41.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$5.10LBP 456.2K
-65.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$4.74LBP 424.0K
-54.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$2.01LBP 180.3K
-4.48%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.85LBP 76.2K
60.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.35LBP 210.3K
-57.02%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$3.65LBP 326.4K
-44.38%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$10.91LBP 976.2K
-9.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$10.48LBP 937.8K
-58.11%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$14.72LBP 1.3M
-48.37%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$3.13LBP 280.0K
5.43%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$1.69LBP 151.7K
-17.75%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$1.62LBP 144.6K
43.83%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$1.48LBP 132.8K
1.35%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.19LBP 106.8K
98.32%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.61LBP 143.8K
18.01%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.21LBP 108.1K
-1.65%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.72LBP 64.6K
-12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$2.92LBP 261.6K
2.74%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$11.17LBP 999.9K
-46.02%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.28LBP 114.8K
-3.91%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.47LBP 221.0K
-29.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Koura
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$1.95LBP 174.5K
-87.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$4.95LBP 442.7K
-84.44%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$2.28LBP 203.7K
-89.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$22.62LBP 2.0M
-80.28%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$0.88LBP 79.0K
48.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$54.4KLBP 4.9B
-60.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$32.8KLBP 2.9B
-41.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$231LBP 20.7M
-47.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$21.68LBP 1.9M
-35.42%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$38.07LBP 3.4M
-27.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$25.26LBP 2.3M
27.99%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$9.87LBP 883.7K
-32.62%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$10.08LBP 902.5K
-43.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$687LBP 61.5M
-59.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$10.5KLBP 942.7M
-24.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$68.1LBP 6.1M
-27.54%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$48.89LBP 4.4M
-48.37%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$139LBP 12.5M
-44.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$122LBP 10.9M
-53.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Koura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$252LBP 22.5M
98.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$201LBP 18.0M
53.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$443LBP 39.7M
143.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$354LBP 31.6M
73.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$1,134LBP 101.5M
154.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$838LBP 75.0M
128.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Koura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$606LBP 54.3M
-42.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
11
-34.55%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Koura: October 13, 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%
Koura
$201 16.3% ↓ 34.9%$108
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Koura
$276 22.3% ↑ 33.9%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Koura
$291 23.6% ↑ 79.8%$129
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Koura
$170 13.8% ↑ 81.3%$76
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Koura
$228 18.4% ↑ 158%$139
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Koura
$45 3.7% ↑ 4.1%$1.8
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Koura
$24 * 2% ↑ 55%$8.6
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Koura
$354 13.4% ↓ 42.5%$262
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Koura
$646 24.5% ↑ 33.8%$163
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Koura
$312 11.8% ↑ 77.8%$137
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Koura
$379 14.4% ↑ 81.3%$170
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Koura
$795 30.1% ↑ 172%$503
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Koura
$101 3.8% ↑ 7.3%$6.8
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Koura
$52 * 2% ↑ 64.8%$21
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 $252 in Koura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Koura pays 75% 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 $69.0 in Koura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $276 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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Koura cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Koura?
On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Koura. 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 Koura?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $252 in Koura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Koura?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Koura. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Koura?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,235 in Koura – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Koura?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,235 in Koura, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Koura. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Koura more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Koura, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Koura?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Koura 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 35% less than in Koura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.