Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lira

For one person, living is cheaper in Lira: $415 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Lira
Learn more

Lira Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Lira

🇺🇬 Uganda

$415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $415 in Lira.

Cebu $918
Lira $415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $655 in Lira.

Cebu $1,409
Lira $655

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $895 in Lira.

Cebu $1,900
Lira $895

Living in Cebu is roughly 121% more expensive than in Lira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Lira 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.52 UGX 10.4K

22.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$25.08 UGX 103.2K

-3.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.40 UGX 30.4K

-47.03%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.57 UGX 10.6K

-2.33%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.24 UGX 980

562.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.26 UGX 1,077

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.78 UGX 3,195

128.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.84 UGX 7,580

17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.76 UGX 3,145

152.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.89 UGX 3,653

52.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.31 UGX 5,398

-22.90%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.63 UGX 6,704

24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.40 UGX 18.1K

124.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.57 UGX 18.8K

-3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$5.02 UGX 20.6K

51.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.09 UGX 8,587

57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.24 UGX 5,110

12.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.32 UGX 5,450

76.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.24 UGX 5,080

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.26 UGX 5,165

87.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.21 UGX 4,988

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.76 UGX 3,107

56.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.53 UGX 2,173

18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.54 UGX 10.4K

18.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.65 UGX 31.4K

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.08 UGX 4,422

13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.96 UGX 8,081

-10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.48 UGX 1,970

60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.30 UGX 1,216

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.04 UGX 12.5K

46.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.40 UGX 5,768

-6.43%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$7,589 UGX 31.2M

179.92%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$7,340 UGX 30.2M

160.86%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$71.6 UGX 294.4K

67.97%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$11.86 UGX 48.8K

18.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$35.49 UGX 146.0K

-22.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.60 UGX 31.3K

-25.66%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$253 UGX 1.0M

8.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$8,185 UGX 33.7M

-3.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$13.84 UGX 56.9K

256.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$13.32 UGX 54.8K

89.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$32.81 UGX 134.9K

134.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$43.92 UGX 180.7K

30.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

20.75

-65.30%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lira: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Lira

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Lira

$149 35.9% 27.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Lira

$119 28.7% 26.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Lira

$47 11.3% 50.2% $47

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lira

$83 20% 6.2% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Lira

$15 * 3.7% 65.1% $28

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Lira

$2 * 0.5% 87.4% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Lira. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $149, with Lira cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇺🇬 Lira

🕒 Local time

15:37 3:37 PM

10:37 10:37 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

99,059

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Lira 10,070 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lira

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 Lira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lira is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $622 in Lira 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $415 in Lira – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lira gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Lira 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 Lira 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 Lira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.