Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $874 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Nairobi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $874 in Nairobi.

Cebu $934
Nairobi $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,403 in Nairobi.

Cebu $1,415
Nairobi $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,932 in Nairobi.

Cebu $1,896
Nairobi $1,932

Living in Cebu is roughly 7% more expensive than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$6.12 KES 794

-50.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$35.26 KES 4,574

-33.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$6.59 KES 854

-37.94%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.71 KES 351

-7.01%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.66 KES 85.4

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.57 KES 73.9

-14.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.33 KES 302

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.75 KES 357

-17.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.89 KES 116

119.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.54 KES 69.9

164.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.94 KES 252

-47.42%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.71 KES 222

20.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$10.63 KES 1,378

-7.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.35 KES 824

-27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$6.22 KES 807

23.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.30 KES 428

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.06 KES 137

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.05 KES 265

15.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.10 KES 142

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.12 KES 145

110.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.10 KES 143

80.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.73 KES 95.3

57.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.77 KES 100

-12.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.62 KES 469

-17.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$11.46 KES 1,486

-44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.28 KES 296

-42.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.69 KES 349

-35.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.79 KES 102

-68.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$45.51 KES 5,902

-72.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$1.52 KES 197

-51.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.58 KES 205

-86.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$2.81 KES 364

54.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.56 KES 203

-14.74%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

-0.06%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.9K KES 2.6M

-2.74%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$56.9 KES 7,375

112.06%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$15.35 KES 1,991

-5.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$35.18 KES 4,563

-19.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$49.39 KES 6,406

-33.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$15.39 KES 1,996

-58.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$7.83 KES 1,016

-30.27%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$250 KES 32.4K

9.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-34.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$27.71 KES 3,594

78.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$28.64 KES 3,714

-13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$68.7 KES 8,911

11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$58.9 KES 7,638

0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$453 KES 58.8K

11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$217 KES 28.2K

42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,106 KES 143.4K

-4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$507 KES 65.8K

22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$1,292 KES 167.6K

125.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$897 KES 116.3K

108.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$481 KES 62.4K

-29.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

14.71

-51.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Nairobi

$217 25.3% 29.7% $92

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Nairobi

$205 23.9% 2.5% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Nairobi

$107 12.5% 34.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Nairobi

$83 9.6% 12.5% $12

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Nairobi

$123 14.4% 39.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Nairobi

$65 7.6% 49.2% $21

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Nairobi

$58 6.8% 276% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $453 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nairobi pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $35.00 in Nairobi. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $205, with Nairobi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

14:17 2:17 PM

09:17 9:17 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Nairobi 9,710 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Nairobi

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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Nairobi. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $453 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $874 in Nairobi – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nairobi runs roughly 260% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $874 in Nairobi versus $934 in Cebu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nairobi 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 Nairobi 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 Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.