Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $557 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Lome
Learn more

Lome Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $557 in Lome.

Cebu $934
Lome $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $980 in Lome.

Cebu $1,415
Lome $980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,404 in Lome.

Cebu $1,896
Lome $1,404

Living in Cebu is roughly 68% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Lome 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$2.94 F CFA 1,718

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$30.61 F CFA 17.9K

-23.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$5.64 F CFA 3,301

-27.48%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$5.65 F CFA 3,307

-55.40%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$4.22 F CFA 2,470

-63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.70 F CFA 407

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$0.96 F CFA 560

86.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.74 F CFA 1,018

29.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.22 F CFA 1,302

-12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.36 F CFA 795

5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.49 F CFA 872

-31.54%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.04 F CFA 1,194

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$5.70 F CFA 3,334

35.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.92 F CFA 1,710

13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.67 F CFA 976

-13.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.55 F CFA 1,489

-39.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.75 F CFA 1,024

34.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.18 F CFA 692

68.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.83 F CFA 487

-19.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$4.85 F CFA 2,835

30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.09 F CFA 640

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.40 F CFA 820

23.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.22 F CFA 714

-82.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$4.24 F CFA 2,482

2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.23 F CFA 720

8.13%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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)

$121 ₱7,563

$146 F CFA 85.6K

-17.55%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$21.33 F CFA 12.5K

-32.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$42.15 F CFA 24.7K

-32.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$60.5 F CFA 35.4K

-45.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$8.77 F CFA 5,132

-27.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$4.22 F CFA 2,467

29.38%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,196 F CFA 699.6K

-12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$294 F CFA 172.2K

110.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$295 F CFA 172.7K

15.57%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Lome

$140 * 25% 33.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Lome

$210 37.4% 28.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Lome

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lome

$136 24.3% 54.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Lome

$69 12.3% 58.1% $25

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Lome

$6.1 * 1.1% 60.5% $9.3

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

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 16% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $31.00 in Lome. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $140, with Lome cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

07:28 7:28 AM

8 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Lome 13,410 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lome – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Lome gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Lome 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 Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.