For one person, living is cheaper in Patna: $378 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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 Patna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $378 in Patna.
Cebu $934
Patna $378
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $581 in Patna.
Cebu $1,415
Patna $581
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $783 in Patna.
Cebu $1,896
Patna $783
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 147% more expensive than in Patna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu30% lower, Patna72% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03₱190
$2.04₹197
48.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48₱1,473
$9.32₹902
151.93%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.09₱256
$3.03₹294
34.98%
Cappuccino
$2.52₱158
$1.62₹157
55.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54₱96.9
$0.34₹33.11
352.94%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49₱30.98
$0.15₹14.48
226.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.79₱112
$1.90₹184
-5.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26₱142
$5.80₹561
-61.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.95₱122
$0.65₹62.6
200.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.43₱89.7
$0.42₹40.69
240.48%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.02₱63.8
$0.52₹50.6
96.15%
Eggs
$2.06₱129
$0.94₹90.6
119.15%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.81₱615
$6.69₹648
46.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.61₱289
$2.23₹216
106.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.70₱483
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$3.31₱207
$1.35₹131
145.19%
Banana(1kg)
$1.45₱90.9
$0.67₹65.3
116.42%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.36₱148
$1.03₹99.8
129.13%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.54₱96.4
$0.45₹43.18
242.22%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱148
$0.32₹30.63
637.50%
Onion(1kg)
$1.99₱125
$0.49₹47.19
306.12%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.15₱72.1
$0.46₹44.79
150.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67₱42.15
$0.27₹26.05
148.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱188
$4.96₹480
-39.52%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.35₱398
$6.31₹611
0.63%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31₱81.9
$1.59₹154
-17.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73₱108
$2.14₹207
-19.16%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$6.84₹662
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Patna
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.78
$0.32₹31.32
-21.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.65₱793
$4.56₹441
177.41%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.74₱46.32
$1.34₹130
-44.78%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.21₱13.11
$0.19₹18.44
10.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.33₱271
$2.05₹198
111.22%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.33₱83.5
$1.06₹102
25.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K₱1.4M
$13.5K₹1.3M
61.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K₱1.2M
$26.8K₹2.6M
-27.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$121₱7,563
$45.39₹4,392
165.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45₱907
$2.72₹263
431.25%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29₱1,774
$6.48₹627
336.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.68₱2,050
$21.99₹2,128
48.61%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39₱401
$12.09₹1,171
-47.15%
Cinema Ticket
$5.46₱342
$3.29₹318
65.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$273₱17.1K
$53.7₹5,192
409.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,156₱511.5K
$1,637₹158.4K
398.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57₱3,109
$23.99₹2,322
106.63%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87₱1,560
$28.76₹2,783
-13.53%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,804
$38.25₹3,702
100.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3₱3,717
$32.71₹3,166
81.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Patna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$506₱31.7K
$106₹10.2K
379.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$60.5₹5,858
411.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,052₱66.0K
$240₹23.3K
337.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$619₱38.8K
$132₹12.8K
368.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,915₱182.9K
$1,255₹121.5K
132.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,867₱117.1K
$495₹47.9K
277.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Patna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$341₱21.4K
$340₹32.9K
0.39%
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 5, 2026
Last update for Patna: October 5, 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 33.5%
Patna
$61 16.3% ↓ 80.4%$249
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210 22.7%
Patna
$97 26% ↓ 54%$114
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163 17.7%
Patna
$55 14.7% ↓ 66.6%$109
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95 10.2%
Patna
$56 15% ↓ 41.2%$39
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Patna
$68 18.3% ↓ 23.1%$20
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.7%
Patna
$29 7.7% ↓ 34.5%$15
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$15 1.7%
Patna
$8.1 2.2% ↓ 47.3%$7.3
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$619 32.4%
Patna
$132 16.8% ↓ 78.7%$487
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$493 25.8%
Patna
$210 26.6% ↓ 57.4%$283
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$178 9.3%
Patna
$57 7.3% ↓ 67.8%$120
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$210 11%
Patna
$124 15.7% ↓ 41.2%$87
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$288 15.1%
Patna
$179 22.7% ↓ 38%$110
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Patna
$69 8.8% ↓ 26%$24
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$31 1.6%
Patna
$17 2.2% ↓ 46%$14
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $106 in Patna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 0% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $9.00 in Patna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $97.0 per month, with Patna 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 Patna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Patna cheaper than Cebu?
Patna is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Patna?
Average pay runs 0% 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 Patna?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $106 in Patna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Patna?
All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $378 in Patna – a 147% 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 Patna runs roughly 177% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Patna?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Patna gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Patna more family-friendly?
For families, Patna 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 Patna?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Patna 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 Patna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.