Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $987 in Port Shepstone, rent and utilities included – about $830 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Port Shepstone
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Port Shepstone Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Port Shepstone

🇿🇦 South Africa

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Port Shepstone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $987 in Port Shepstone.

Cebu $918
Port Shepstone $987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,540 in Port Shepstone.

Cebu $1,409
Port Shepstone $1,540

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,093 in Port Shepstone.

Cebu $1,900
Port Shepstone $2,093

Living in Cebu costs roughly 7% less than in Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Port Shepstone 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$7.76 R 128

-60.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$38.69 R 637

-37.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.93 R 97.8

-33.90%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.71 R 44.60

-7.38%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.09 R 17.89

45.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.85 R 13.94

-37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.34 R 38.48

-23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.52 R 41.57

-13.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.93 R 15.28

106.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.70 R 11.57

94.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.17 R 19.29

-13.68%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.45 R 23.93

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.07 R 117

39.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.68 R 60.6

19.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.07 R 117

7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.17 R 19.33

182.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.75 R 12.43

85.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.63 R 10.36

269.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.47 R 24.20

2.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.58 R 9.50

306.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.37 R 22.63

38.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.87 R 14.36

36.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.57 R 9.41

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.69 R 60.8

-18.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.80 R 79.1

25.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.45 R 23.94

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.84 R 30.31

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.46 R 24.12

-82.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.43 R 7.12

79.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.71 R 11.76

-67.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$7.39 R 122

-39.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.29 R 21.19

1.55%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$34.9K R 575.6K

-39.20%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$31.1K R 512.1K

-38.40%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$121 R 1,994

-0.69%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.86 R 294

-21.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$36.27 R 598

-24.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$31.48 R 519

2.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$10.72 R 177

-37.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.30 R 120

-22.60%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$305 R 5,028

-9.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,610 R 125.4K

4.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$53.7 R 885

-8.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$30.34 R 500

-16.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$96.7 R 1,594

-20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$82.3 R 1,355

-30.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$386 R 6,355

29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$358 R 5,893

-13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$734 R 12.1K

46.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$715 R 11.8K

-13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$884 R 14.6K

226.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$666 R 11.0K

187.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,023 R 49.8K

-88.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.78

-38.88%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Port Shepstone

$358 36.2% 15.8% $49

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Port Shepstone

$143 14.5% 30.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Port Shepstone

$175 17.8% 8.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Port Shepstone

$118 12% 26% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Port Shepstone

$137 13.9% 55% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Port Shepstone

$46 4.7% 5.6% $2.5

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Port Shepstone

$9.9 * 1% 36.7% $5.7

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 $386 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 774% 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 $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $143, with Port Shepstone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇦 Port Shepstone

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

12:16 12:16 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

52,793

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Port Shepstone 10,920 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Port Shepstone

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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 774% lower in Port Shepstone. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $386 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Port Shepstone pay roughly 44% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $987 in Port Shepstone – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Shepstone, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Port Shepstone 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Port Shepstone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.