Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Palangkaraya

For one person, living is cheaper in Palangkaraya: $619 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Palangkaraya
Learn more

Palangkaraya Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Palangkaraya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Palangkaraya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $619 in Palangkaraya.

Cebu $918
Palangkaraya $619

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $988 in Palangkaraya.

Cebu $1,409
Palangkaraya $988

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,356 in Palangkaraya.

Cebu $1,900
Palangkaraya $1,356

Living in Cebu is roughly 48% more expensive than in Palangkaraya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Palangkaraya 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

117.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$13.95 Rp 251.2K

73.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.71 Rp 66.7K

5.66%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

61.94%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.47 Rp 8,405

238.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.20 Rp 3,672

165.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.80 Rp 68.3K

-42.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.18 Rp 21.3K

62.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.10 Rp 19.9K

23.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

21.69%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

39.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.14 Rp 128.5K

38.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

104.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.41 Rp 115.3K

18.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.22 Rp 39.9K

48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-19.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

36.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

95.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.99 Rp 35.8K

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

63.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.42 Rp 7,540

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$22.88 Rp 411.8K

-73.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

-34.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.10 Rp 55.8K

-43.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.27 Rp 4,898

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.35 Rp 6,268

-34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.85 Rp 51.2K

56.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

101.54%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

-13.24%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.5K Rp 494.8M

-30.35%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$65.8 Rp 1.2M

82.86%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$4.39 Rp 79.0K

218.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$19.27 Rp 346.8K

42.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$5.70 Rp 102.6K

467.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$9.00 Rp 161.9K

-26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

78.80%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$101 Rp 1.8M

171.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,849 Rp 141.3M

0.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$39.00 Rp 702.1K

26.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$25.04 Rp 450.7K

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$75.4 Rp 1.4M

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$217 Rp 3.9M

130.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$158 Rp 2.8M

95.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$507 Rp 9.1M

112.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$392 Rp 7.1M

56.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,013 Rp 18.2M

184.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$899 Rp 16.2M

113.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.46

-23.89%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Palangkaraya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Palangkaraya

$158 25.6% 48.8% $151

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Palangkaraya

$193 31.2% 6.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Palangkaraya

$89 14.4% 44.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Palangkaraya

$101 16.3% 7.1% $6.7

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Palangkaraya

$62 10.1% 29.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Palangkaraya

$12 1.9% 72.4% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Palangkaraya

$3.4 * 0.6% 78.2% $12

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 $500 in Cebu and $217 in Palangkaraya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $14.00 in Palangkaraya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $193 per month, with Palangkaraya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Palangkaraya

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

14:07 2:07 PM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

220,962

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Palangkaraya 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Palangkaraya

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 Palangkaraya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palangkaraya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $929 in Palangkaraya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $217 in Palangkaraya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $619 in Palangkaraya – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Palangkaraya 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 Palangkaraya 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 Palangkaraya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.