For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,017 in Lucca, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Lucca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $2,017 in Lucca.
Cebu $918
Lucca $2,017
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $3,004 in Lucca.
Cebu $1,409
Lucca $3,004
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,990 in Lucca.
Cebu $1,900
Lucca $3,990
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 55% less than in Lucca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Lucca is 49% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$19.78€17.59
-84.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$80.6€71.7
-69.95%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$11.84€10.53
-66.89%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$2.02€1.79
24.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$3.30€2.93
-51.82%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$1.43€1.27
-62.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$6.73€5.99
-73.55%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$5.08€4.52
-57.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.64€1.46
17.07%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$2.42€2.15
-43.80%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.99€2.66
-66.22%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$4.01€3.56
-49.38%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$20.76€18.46
-52.50%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$14.43€12.83
-69.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$21.07€18.74
-63.93%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.38€2.12
38.66%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.14€1.91
-35.05%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$2.52€2.24
-7.54%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$3.20€2.84
-53.13%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.90€1.69
24.21%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$2.14€1.91
-11.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.82€1.62
-34.62%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.57€0.50
10.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$7.05€6.28
-57.45%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$7.83€6.96
-22.99%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.93€1.72
-36.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.81€2.50
-37.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$1.95€1.74
-87.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$34.12€30.35
-62.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$4.53€4.03
-83.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$1.62€1.44
-85.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$27.76€24.69
-83.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$2.11€1.88
-37.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$36.5K€32.4K
-41.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$34.7K€30.9K
-44.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$336€299
-64.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$11.93€10.62
17.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$32.27€28.70
-14.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$65.8€58.6
-50.89%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$50.0€44.47
-86.70%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$9.86€8.77
-42.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$645€574
-57.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$11.3K€10.0K
-29.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$101€89.6
-51.03%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$47.80€42.52
-47.20%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$90.5€80.5
-14.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$165€146
-65.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$796€708
-37.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$663€589
-53.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$1,431€1,273
-24.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$1,012€900
-39.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$3,989€3,549
-27.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$2,088€1,857
-8.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Lucca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$1,765€1,570
-80.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3.7
94.59%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Lucca: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Lucca
$663 32.8% ↑ 115%$354
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Lucca
$372 18.5% ↑ 80.8%$166
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Lucca
$380 18.9% ↑ 135%$218
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Lucca
$182 9% ↑ 93.4%$88
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Lucca
$281 13.9% ↑ 218%$192
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Lucca
$86 4.2% ↑ 96.1%$42
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Lucca
$55 2.7% ↑ 251%$39
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Lucca
$1K 25.4% ↑ 64.4%$396
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Lucca
$879 22% ↑ 82.1%$396
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Lucca
$392 9.8% ↑ 123%$216
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Lucca
$404 10.1% ↑ 93.4%$195
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Lucca
$969 24.3% ↑ 232%$677
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Lucca
$221 5.5% ↑ 136%$127
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Lucca
$113 2.8% ↑ 257%$81
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $796 in Lucca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lucca pays 410% 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 $81.0 in Lucca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $372 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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 Lucca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lucca cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Lucca?
On paper, salaries run 410% lower in Lucca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Lucca?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $796 in Lucca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Lucca?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $2,017 in Lucca – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 170% less than in Lucca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Lucca?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,017 in Lucca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lucca. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Lucca more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lucca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Lucca?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Lucca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Lucca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.