For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,347 in Paszto, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Paszto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,347 in Paszto.
Cebu $918
Paszto $1,347
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,021 in Paszto.
Cebu $1,409
Paszto $2,021
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,695 in Paszto.
Cebu $1,900
Paszto $2,695
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 32% less than in Paszto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Paszto is 0% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$11.57Ft 3,729
-73.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,524
$61.7Ft 19.9K
-60.73%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱246
$9.02Ft 2,908
-56.54%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$2.44Ft 788
2.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$1.31Ft 421
21.37%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.42
$1.23Ft 395
-56.91%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.66Ft 535
7.23%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$2.23Ft 718
-2.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.21Ft 390
58.68%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$1.58Ft 510
-13.92%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.39Ft 771
-57.74%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$3.35Ft 1,078
-39.40%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$10.50Ft 3,386
-6.10%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱276
$6.81Ft 2,195
-35.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱478
$16.46Ft 5,306
-53.83%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.50Ft 804
32.00%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.7
$2.30Ft 740
-39.57%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$2.54Ft 818
-8.27%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.2
$3.87Ft 1,247
-61.24%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.12Ft 363
110.71%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.35Ft 435
40.74%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$1.78Ft 575
-33.15%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.69
$0.58Ft 187
8.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$8.92Ft 2,876
-66.37%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$4.73Ft 1,524
27.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.6
$1.38Ft 444
-10.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.51Ft 808
-30.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.85
$1.07Ft 343
-76.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱795
$23.46Ft 7,561
-46.12%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.59
$3.40Ft 1,096
-77.35%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.52
$1.43Ft 460
-83.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱280
$24.24Ft 7,812
-81.60%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.81Ft 585
-27.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$30.5KFt 9.8M
-30.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$36.0KFt 11.6M
-46.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,566
$166Ft 53.5K
-27.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱881
$21.09Ft 6,799
-33.62%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,733
$21.02Ft 6,776
31.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,034
$52.4Ft 16.9K
-38.25%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱418
$19.69Ft 6,347
-66.23%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱355
$8.93Ft 2,878
-36.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$433Ft 139.5K
-36.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.3K
$7,625Ft 2.5M
3.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,105
$102Ft 33.0K
-51.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$51.2Ft 16.5K
-50.69%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,844
$96.7Ft 31.2K
-20.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,600
$110Ft 35.3K
-47.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.4K
$546Ft 176.0K
-8.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$433Ft 139.7K
-28.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.8K
$660Ft 212.8K
63.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$584Ft 188.3K
5.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.6K
$2,765Ft 891.2K
4.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.6K
$2,444Ft 787.7K
-21.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Paszto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$736Ft 237.2K
-52.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
8
-10.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Paszto: October 10, 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%
Paszto
$433 32.2% ↑ 40.3%$125
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Paszto
$263 19.5% ↑ 27.8%$57
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Paszto
$208 15.5% ↑ 28.7%$46
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Paszto
$162 12% ↑ 72.5%$68
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Paszto
$172 12.8% ↑ 94.7%$84
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Paszto
$70 5.2% ↑ 61%$27
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Paszto
$38 2.8% ↑ 146%$23
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Paszto
$584 21.7% ↓ 5.1%$31
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Paszto
$625 23.2% ↑ 29.4%$142
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Paszto
$229 8.5% ↑ 30.4%$54
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Paszto
$360 13.4% ↑ 72.5%$151
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Paszto
$658 24.4% ↑ 125%$366
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Paszto
$160 5.9% ↑ 70.6%$66
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Paszto
$79 2.9% ↑ 149%$47
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $546 in Paszto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Paszto pays 113% 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 $62.0 in Paszto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $263 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 Paszto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paszto cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Paszto?
On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Paszto. 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 Paszto?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $546 in Paszto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Paszto?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,347 in Paszto – a 47% 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 86% less than in Paszto. 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 Paszto?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,347 in Paszto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Paszto. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Paszto more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Paszto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Paszto?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Paszto 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 47% less than in Paszto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.