Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lac

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,075 in Lac, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Lac despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Lac
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Lac Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Lac

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lac

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,075 in Lac.

Cebu $918
Lac $1,075

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,649 in Lac.

Cebu $1,409
Lac $1,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,222 in Lac.

Cebu $1,900
Lac $2,222

Living in Cebu costs roughly 15% less than in Lac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Lac 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$9.62 ALL 775

-67.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$38.92 ALL 3,134

-37.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.31 ALL 589

-46.37%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.92 ALL 155

30.73%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.81 ALL 146

-12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.68 ALL 54.7

-22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.51 ALL 202

-29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.30 ALL 266

-34.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.90 ALL 153

1.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.98 ALL 78.6

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.03 ALL 163

-50.25%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.57 ALL 207

-21.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.05 ALL 809

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.32 ALL 670

-47.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$13.88 ALL 1,118

-45.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.87 ALL 151

76.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.23 ALL 180

-37.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.51 ALL 121

54.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.64 ALL 132

-8.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.05 ALL 84.2

124.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.22 ALL 98.2

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.18 ALL 95.3

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.78 ALL 63.2

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.36 ALL 351

-31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.03 ALL 646

-24.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.80 ALL 145

-31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.25 ALL 100

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.54 ALL 43.38

-53.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$19.41 ALL 1,563

-34.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.73 ALL 301

-79.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$3.74 ALL 301

-93.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$18.01 ALL 1,450

-75.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.22 ALL 178

-40.99%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$33.6K ALL 2.7M

-36.76%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$24.4K ALL 2.0M

-21.53%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$60.7 ALL 4,887

98.14%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.51 ALL 1,330

-15.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$16.83 ALL 1,355

63.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$54.1 ALL 4,356

-40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$8.30 ALL 669

-31.93%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$98.5 ALL 7,935

179.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$48.09 ALL 3,873

2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$54.8 ALL 4,415

-53.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$98.8 ALL 7,958

-22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$146 ALL 11.7K

-60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$440 ALL 35.4K

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$314 ALL 25.3K

-1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$642 ALL 51.7K

67.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$464 ALL 37.3K

32.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,701 ALL 137.0K

69.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,062 ALL 85.5K

80.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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 Lac: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Lac

$314 29.3% 1.8% $5.6

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Lac

$245 22.8% 18.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Lac

$94 8.7% 41.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Lac

$156 14.5% 66.5% $62

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lac

$151 14.1% 71.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Lac

$71 6.6% 62.1% $27

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Lac

$44 4.1% 183% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $440 in Lac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $39.00 in Lac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $245 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇦🇱 Lac

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

17,086

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Lac 10,400 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lac

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 Lac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,613 in Lac to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $440 in Lac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,075 in Lac – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 54% less than in Lac. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,075 in Lac, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lac. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lac, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Lac 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Lac. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.