Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lincoln

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,210 in Lincoln, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln
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Lincoln Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Lincoln

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lincoln

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $2,210 in Lincoln.

Cebu $918
Lincoln $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $3,279 in Lincoln.

Cebu $1,409
Lincoln $3,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $4,349 in Lincoln.

Cebu $1,900
Lincoln $4,349

Living in Cebu costs roughly 58% less than in Lincoln, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Lincoln is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$26.56 £19.93

-88.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$86.5 £64.9

-71.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.97 £5.98

-50.82%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.85 £3.64

-48.25%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.58 £1.94

-38.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.97 £1.48

-73.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.46 £4.85

-72.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.63 £4.97

-67.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.38 £1.03

39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.46 £1.10

-6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.35 £1.01

-25.19%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.20 £2.40

-36.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.35 £6.26

18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.39 £6.30

-47.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$11.31 £8.49

-32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.62 £2.72

-8.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.25 £0.93

11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.94 £2.20

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$3.56 £2.67

-57.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.54 £1.16

53.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.21 £0.90

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.04 £0.78

14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.35 £1.01

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$23.20 £17.41

-87.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.69 £8.02

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.30 £2.47

-62.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.54 £2.66

-50.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$4.26 £3.20

-94.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$107 £80.1

-88.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.84 £2.88

-79.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.78 £0.58

-70.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$19.63 £14.73

-77.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.96 £1.47

-33.16%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$38.5K £28.9K

-44.82%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$39.7K £29.8K

-51.83%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$308 £231

-60.96%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.78 £12.59

-16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$38.98 £29.24

-29.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$26.20 £19.65

23.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$21.26 £15.95

-68.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$15.16 £11.38

-62.73%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$1,809 £1,358

-84.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$20.6K £15.4K

-61.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$113 £85.1

-56.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$58.0 £43.49

-56.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$87.0 £65.3

-11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$98.4 £73.8

-41.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,096 £822

-54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$864 £648

-64.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,952 £1,464

-44.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,408 £1,056

-56.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,548 £1,911

13.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,205 £904

59.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,188 £2,391

-89.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.88

47.54%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lincoln: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Lincoln

$864 39.1% 180% $555

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Lincoln

$275 12.4% 33.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Lincoln

$364 16.5% 125% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Lincoln

$161 7.3% 71% $67

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lincoln

$358 16.2% 306% $270

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Lincoln

$57 2.6% 29.6% $13

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Lincoln

$132 6% 745% $116

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $1,096 in Lincoln. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln pays 821% 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 $86.0 in Lincoln for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $275 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇬🇧 Lincoln

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

08:19 8:19 AM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

97,541

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Lincoln 11,230 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lincoln

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 Lincoln: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 821% lower in Lincoln. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $1,096 in Lincoln. 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 $2,210 in Lincoln – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 745% less than in Lincoln. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,210 in Lincoln, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lincoln. 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 Lincoln, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Lincoln 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 141% less than in Lincoln. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.