Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kozhikode

For one person, living is cheaper in Kozhikode: $397 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Kozhikode
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Kozhikode Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Kozhikode

🇮🇳 India

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kozhikode

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $397 in Kozhikode.

Cebu $934
Kozhikode $397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $614 in Kozhikode.

Cebu $1,415
Kozhikode $614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $832 in Kozhikode.

Cebu $1,896
Kozhikode $832

Living in Cebu is roughly 136% more expensive than in Kozhikode, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Kozhikode 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$1.57 ₹152

92.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$9.12 ₹883

157.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$3.20 ₹310

27.81%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.36 ₹132

85.29%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.34 ₹32.65

352.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.13 ₹12.31

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.42 ₹137

26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.86 ₹180

21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.57 ₹54.8

242.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.48 ₹46.60

197.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$0.49 ₹47.29

108.16%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$0.83 ₹80.0

148.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$3.72 ₹360

163.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$3.62 ₹351

27.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.01 ₹194

64.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.57 ₹54.8

154.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.87 ₹84.2

171.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.45 ₹43.51

242.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.35 ₹33.47

574.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.41 ₹39.31

385.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.59 ₹57.1

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.27 ₹26.33

148.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.91 ₹475

-38.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$5.21 ₹504

21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.96 ₹189

-33.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.12 ₹206

-18.40%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.31 ₹321

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.18 ₹17.70

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$5.20 ₹504

143.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.87 ₹84.1

-14.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.45 ₹43.95

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$2.07 ₹200

109.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.12 ₹108

18.75%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$13.1K ₹1.3M

65.75%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₹1.9M

0.60%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$53.9 ₹5,219

123.63%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$3.06 ₹296

372.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$5.95 ₹576

375.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$19.45 ₹1,882

68.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$5.92 ₹573

7.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$2.57 ₹249

112.45%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$45.46 ₹4,400

501.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$496 ₹48.1K

1542.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$28.03 ₹2,713

76.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$27.34 ₹2,646

-9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$69.5 ₹6,727

10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$36.95 ₹3,576

60.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$111 ₹10.7K

355.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$73.4 ₹7,103

321.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$309 ₹29.9K

240.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$163 ₹15.8K

278.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$880 ₹85.1K

231.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$666 ₹64.5K

180.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$277 ₹26.8K

23.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.37

-23.16%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kozhikode: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Kozhikode

$73 18.8% 76.3% $236

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Kozhikode

$96 24.6% 54.3% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Kozhikode

$63 16.1% 61.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Kozhikode

$73 18.7% 23% $22

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kozhikode

$51 13.1% 42.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Kozhikode

$25 6.3% 43.6% $19

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Kozhikode

$9.1 2.3% 41.2% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $111 in Kozhikode. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 23% 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 $9.00 in Kozhikode for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $96.0 per month, with Kozhikode cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇳 Kozhikode

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

550,440

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Kozhikode 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kozhikode

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 Kozhikode: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kozhikode is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $111 in Kozhikode. 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 $397 in Kozhikode – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kozhikode runs roughly 143% 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 Kozhikode gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kozhikode 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 Kozhikode 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 Kozhikode gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.