Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Negros

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Negros
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Negros Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Negros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $739 in Negros.

Cebu $915
Negros $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,121 in Negros.

Cebu $1,418
Negros $1,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,503 in Negros.

Cebu $1,921
Negros $1,503

Living in Cebu is roughly 24% more expensive than in Negros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Negros 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$2.94 ₱185

3.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$11.99 ₱755

100.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.77 ₱175

44.04%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.40 ₱88.2

78.57%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.67 ₱41.96

129.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.42 ₱26.27

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.21 ₱76.1

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.96 ₱123

10.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.93 ₱121

3.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.11 ₱69.7

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.96 ₱60.6

7.29%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.96 ₱123

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$9.83 ₱619

3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.51 ₱284

-1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.35 ₱463

4.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.32 ₱209

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.41 ₱88.6

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.41 ₱152

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.53 ₱96.4

-2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.42 ₱152

-3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.89 ₱119

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.14 ₱71.7

1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.64 ₱40.01

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.91 ₱183

2.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$6.11 ₱385

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.23 ₱77.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.74 ₱110

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.26 ₱16.37

-11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$11.32 ₱713

9.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.79 ₱49.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.23 ₱14.53

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$1.89 ₱119

140.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.33 ₱83.9

-0.75%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-0.47%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.48%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$120 ₱7,531

-0.89%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$14.43 ₱908

-1.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$27.86 ₱1,754

-1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$32.58 ₱2,051

-0.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$4.62 ₱291

40.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.44 ₱342

-0.74%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$130 ₱8,211

111.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$8,096 ₱509.8K

-2.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$32.81 ₱2,066

50.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$19.16 ₱1,206

28.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$76.9 ₱4,843

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$57.8 ₱3,638

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$269 ₱17.0K

86.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$169 ₱10.6K

80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$511 ₱32.2K

110.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$358 ₱22.5K

76.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,453 ₱154.4K

16.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$992 ₱62.5K

89.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$241 ₱15.2K

39.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.86%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Negros

$169 22.9% 44.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Negros

$204 27.5% 2.9% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Negros

$162 21.9% 1% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Negros

$84 11.4% 10.9% $10

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Negros

$63 8.5% 28.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Negros

$43 5.9% 0.8% $0.4

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Negros

$14 1.9% 5.6% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $269 in Negros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 39% 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 $12.00 in Negros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $204 per month, with Negros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Negros

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

4,414,131

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negros is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $269 in Negros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $739 in Negros – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Negros runs roughly 9% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Negros 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 Negros 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 Negros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.