Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lihir Island

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Lihir Island

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$119 ₱7,464

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

$14.22 ₱896

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

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

$276 ₱17.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lihir Island: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Lihir Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Lihir Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Lihir Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Lihir Island

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lihir Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Lihir Island

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Lihir Island

–

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇬 Lihir Island

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

2 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, 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).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

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Cebu Lihir Island 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lihir Island

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 Lihir Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Lihir Island 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 Lihir Island are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Lihir Island wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.