Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Polomolok

For one person, living is cheaper in Polomolok: $610 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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 Polomolok
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Polomolok Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Polomolok

🇵🇭 Philippines

$610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Polomolok

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $610 in Polomolok.

Cebu $943
Polomolok $610

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $966 in Polomolok.

Cebu $1,437
Polomolok $966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $1,323 in Polomolok.

Cebu $1,930
Polomolok $1,323

Living in Cebu is roughly 55% more expensive than in Polomolok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Polomolok 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱247

$1.59 ₱101

144.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,476

$16.28 ₱1,035

42.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱248

$1.99 ₱127

95.98%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱163

$2.18 ₱138

17.43%

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

$1.60 ₱102

$0.38 ₱24.07

321.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.35

$0.63 ₱40.30

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.20 ₱76.1

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱137

$2.09 ₱133

2.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.65 ₱105

20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱87.1

$0.90 ₱57.1

52.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.4

$0.66 ₱41.96

43.94%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱128

$1.89 ₱120

6.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱612

$6.38 ₱406

50.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱277

$2.73 ₱174

59.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱490

$5.38 ₱342

43.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱210

$2.53 ₱161

30.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$0.58 ₱36.56

118.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.40 ₱152

-2.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.3

$0.80 ₱50.7

88.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱142

$1.15 ₱73.2

93.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱123

$2.88 ₱183

-32.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.2

$0.77 ₱48.90

53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱41.33

$0.66 ₱41.95

-1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱184

$2.38 ₱151

21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱404

$6.88 ₱438

-7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$0.98 ₱62.0

29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱104

$1.47 ₱93.4

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.56

$0.22 ₱13.90

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱778

$12.38 ₱787

-1.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.0

$0.75 ₱47.89

9.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$0.22 ₱13.93

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱275

$1.89 ₱120

128.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$0.86 ₱54.6

60.47%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$15.9K ₱1.0M

33.14%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$17.3K ₱1.1M

11.24%

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

$124 ₱7,893

$50.5 ₱3,210

145.87%

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

$15.93 ₱1,013

$19.13 ₱1,216

-16.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,785

$25.41 ₱1,616

10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,124

$31.60 ₱2,009

5.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱407

$5.16 ₱328

24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱372

$3.82 ₱243

53.14%

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

$271 ₱17.2K

$104 ₱6,598

160.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱512.4K

$1,338 ₱85.1K

502.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,072

$32.43 ₱2,062

48.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,562

$19.23 ₱1,223

27.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,904

$63.6 ₱4,043

21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,593

$60.6 ₱3,850

-6.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.5K

$246 ₱15.6K

101.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$166 ₱10.6K

93.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱63.0K

$493 ₱31.3K

100.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.9K

$358 ₱22.7K

75.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱283.5K

$2,680 ₱170.4K

66.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱192.6K

$1,117 ₱71.0K

171.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.8K

$235 ₱14.9K

45.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

20.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Polomolok: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Polomolok

$166 27.2% 48.4% $156

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Polomolok

$156 25.6% 24.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Polomolok

$95 15.6% 43.5% $73

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Polomolok

$59 9.7% 37.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Polomolok

$79 13% 14.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Polomolok

$39 6.4% 13% $5.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Polomolok

$15 2.5% 0.9% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $246 in Polomolok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 46% 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 in Cebu vs $16 in Polomolok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $156 per month, with Polomolok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Polomolok

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

172,605

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cebu Polomolok 470 km

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Cebu
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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 Polomolok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polomolok is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $495 in Cebu versus $246 in Polomolok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $610 in Polomolok – Polomolok is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $610 in Polomolok versus $943 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Polomolok but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Polomolok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Polomolok wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.