Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $3,419 in Lachen, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
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Lachen Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lachen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $3,419 in Lachen.

Cebu $915
Lachen $3,419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $5,218 in Lachen.

Cebu $1,418
Lachen $5,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $7,017 in Lachen.

Cebu $1,921
Lachen $7,017

Living in Cebu costs roughly 73% less than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Lachen is 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$33.00 CHF 27.18

-90.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$121 CHF 99.4

-80.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$16.33 CHF 13.45

-75.57%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$6.19 CHF 5.10

-59.61%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$5.68 CHF 4.68

-72.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-90.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$8.44 CHF 6.95

-78.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$9.62 CHF 7.92

-77.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.16 CHF 1.78

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$3.39 CHF 2.79

-59.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$4.33 CHF 3.57

-76.21%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$7.88 CHF 6.49

-74.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$26.48 CHF 21.81

-61.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$26.44 CHF 21.77

-83.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$39.73 CHF 32.72

-80.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.49 CHF 2.87

-5.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.63 CHF 2.17

-11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$4.78 CHF 3.94

-68.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.01 CHF 1.65

16.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-14.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-52.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$1.42 CHF 1.17

-52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$11.07 CHF 9.12

-72.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$13.22 CHF 10.89

-52.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-46.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$3.35 CHF 2.76

-48.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$3.85 CHF 3.17

-94.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$110 CHF 90.7

-88.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-89.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$4.95 CHF 4.07

-95.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$86.9 CHF 71.6

-94.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-42.36%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

-46.29%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

-51.31%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$231 CHF 190

-48.59%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$31.78 CHF 26.18

-55.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$65.5 CHF 53.9

-58.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$88.5 CHF 72.9

-63.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$47.80 CHF 39.37

-86.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$21.69 CHF 17.86

-75.10%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$2,846 CHF 2,344

-90.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$44.9K CHF 37.0K

-82.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$139 CHF 114

-64.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$88.1 CHF 72.6

-72.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$147 CHF 121

-47.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$172 CHF 142

-65.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$1,745 CHF 1,437

-71.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$1,482 CHF 1,221

-79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$2,930 CHF 2,413

-63.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$2,496 CHF 2,056

-74.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-82.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

-85.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$9,670 CHF 7,965

-96.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

1.72

318.60%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lachen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Lachen

$1.5K 43.4% 387% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Lachen

$582 17% 178% $372

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Lachen

$328 9.6% 105% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Lachen

$246 7.2% 161% $151

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lachen

$492 14.4% 461% $404

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Lachen

$132 3.9% 206% $89

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Lachen

$158 4.6% 942% $143

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $1,745 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 2779% 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 $121 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $582 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇨🇭 Lachen

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

21:49 9:49 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

9,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Lachen 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lachen

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 274% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2779% lower in Lachen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $1,745 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $3,419 in Lachen – a 274% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 792% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $3,419 in Lachen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lachen. 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 Lachen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Lachen 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 274% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.