For one person, living is cheaper in Minya: $397 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Minya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $397 in Minya.
Cebu $915
Minya $397
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $608 in Minya.
Cebu $1,418
Minya $608
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $819 in Minya.
Cebu $1,921
Minya $819
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 130% more expensive than in Minya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu33% lower, Minya71% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05₱192
$2.77E£148
10.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00₱1,511
$7.27E£388
230.12%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.99₱251
$4.57E£244
-12.69%
Cappuccino
$2.50₱157
$1.16E£62.1
115.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54₱97.1
$0.20E£10.81
670.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50₱31.37
$0.11E£5.67
354.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.08E£57.8
64.81%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱136
$2.81E£150
-22.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.00₱126
$0.78E£41.78
156.41%
White Bread(500g)
$1.37₱86.2
$0.21E£11.21
552.38%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.03₱64.9
$0.61E£32.67
68.85%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$1.28E£68.4
58.59%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.20₱642
$2.36E£126
332.20%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.45₱280
$3.62E£193
22.93%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.67₱483
$7.01E£374
9.42%
Apples(1kg)
$3.31₱208
$0.72E£38.40
359.72%
Banana(1kg)
$1.46₱91.8
$0.51E£27.47
186.27%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.32₱146
$0.41E£22.07
465.85%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.49₱94.0
$0.31E£16.48
380.65%
Potato(1kg)
$2.34₱147
$0.31E£16.35
654.84%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94₱122
$0.36E£19.15
438.89%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.16₱73.0
$0.26E£13.83
346.15%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68₱42.89
$0.19E£10.06
257.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99₱188
$1.83E£97.6
63.39%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.24₱393
$4.61E£246
35.36%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.3
$1.03E£55.3
19.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73₱109
$1.61E£85.8
7.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Minya
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.23₱14.36
$0.19E£10.05
21.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.34₱777
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.79₱49.96
$0.25E£13.19
216.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.22₱13.86
$0.15E£8.07
46.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.54₱286
$0.71E£38.09
539.44%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.32₱82.9
$0.37E£19.61
256.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K₱1.3M
$31.5KE£1.7M
-33.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K₱1.2M
$24.2KE£1.3M
-19.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119₱7,464
$14.76E£788
703.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22₱896
$5.95E£318
138.99%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47₱1,730
$23.32E£1,245
17.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.31₱2,034
$6.85E£366
371.68%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50₱409
$4.55E£243
42.86%
Cinema Ticket
$5.40₱340
$3.63E£194
48.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$276₱17.4K
$83.6E£4,464
230.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,866₱495.3K
$2,271E£121.3K
246.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37₱3,108
$9.00E£481
448.56%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58₱1,548
$37.60E£2,008
-34.63%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,825
$152E£8,138
-49.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9₱3,706
$53.9E£2,880
9.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Minya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$503₱31.7K
$94.2E£5,028
434.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$305₱19.2K
$65.4E£3,494
365.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,075₱67.7K
$150E£8,008
616.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$632₱39.8K
$98.3E£5,251
542.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,870₱180.7K
$464E£24.8K
519.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,877₱118.2K
$251E£13.4K
647.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Minya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$336₱21.1K
$73.3E£3,915
358.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
22.5
-68.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026
Last update for Minya: October 17, 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
$305 33.3%
Minya
$65 16.5% ↓ 78.5%$239
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210 22.9%
Minya
$96 24.2% ↓ 54.1%$113
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160 17.5%
Minya
$44 11.1% ↓ 72.5%$116
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.3%
Minya
$114 28.6% ↑ 20.8%$20
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Minya
$62 15.6% ↓ 29.3%$26
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43 4.7%
Minya
$14 3.6% ↓ 67.3%$29
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$15 1.7%
Minya
$1.8 * 0.4% ↓ 88.4%$13
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$632 32.9%
Minya
$98 12% ↓ 84.4%$534
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$491 25.6%
Minya
$222 27.2% ↓ 54.7%$269
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$174 9.1%
Minya
$50 6.1% ↓ 71.4%$124
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 10.9%
Minya
$253 30.9% ↑ 20.8%$43
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$290 15.1%
Minya
$159 19.4% ↓ 45.3%$131
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$93 4.8%
Minya
$33 4% ↓ 64.6%$60
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$31 1.6%
Minya
$3.9 * 0.5% ↓ 87.3%$27
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $94.2 in Minya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 358% 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 $7.00 in Minya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $96.0 per month, with Minya 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 Minya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Minya cheaper than Cebu?
Minya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Minya?
Average pay runs 358% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Minya?
Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $94.2 in Minya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Minya?
Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Minya?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $397 in Minya – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Minya?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Minya gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Minya more family-friendly?
For families, Minya 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Minya?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Minya 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 Minya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.