Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Praia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $943 a month against $1,192 in Praia, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Praia
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Praia Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Praia

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$1,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Praia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $1,192 in Praia.

Cebu $943
Praia $1,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $1,783 in Praia.

Cebu $1,437
Praia $1,783

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $2,374 in Praia.

Cebu $1,930
Praia $2,374

Living in Cebu costs roughly 21% less than in Praia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Praia 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$4.97 CVE 488

-21.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$35.72 CVE 3,510

-34.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$7.17 CVE 705

-45.61%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$2.57 CVE 252

-0.39%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$1.54 CVE 152

3.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.03

$1.15 CVE 113

-55.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

$2.50 CVE 245

-29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

$1.99 CVE 196

8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.39 CVE 137

43.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$2.10 CVE 206

-34.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.9

$3.44 CVE 338

-72.38%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$2.25 CVE 221

-10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$25.37 CVE 2,493

-62.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$4.52 CVE 444

-3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$17.00 CVE 1,670

-54.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$4.99 CVE 491

-33.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$3.00 CVE 295

-57.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$4.13 CVE 406

-43.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.4

$4.36 CVE 429

-65.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$1.50 CVE 147

48.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.46 CVE 144

32.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$0.92 CVE 90.9

28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.93

$1.48 CVE 146

-56.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$5.12 CVE 503

-43.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

$8.20 CVE 806

-22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$1.78 CVE 174

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$1.71 CVE 168

-4.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.82 CVE 80.4

-71.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱771

$29.21 CVE 2,870

-58.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.72 CVE 169

-52.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$1.20 CVE 118

-83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$1.62 CVE 159

-14.81%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.1K CVE 2.9M

-27.23%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$38.6K CVE 3.8M

-50.04%

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

$124 ₱7,816

$180 CVE 17.7K

-31.13%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$18.47 CVE 1,814

-13.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,768

$50.6 CVE 4,973

-44.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,104

$32.29 CVE 3,172

3.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$10.19 CVE 1,001

-37.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$5.66 CVE 556

3.36%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$125 CVE 12.2K

117.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

$3,045 CVE 299.2K

164.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,042

$61.1 CVE 6,007

-20.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$24.94 CVE 2,450

-1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,856

$64.9 CVE 6,380

18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,558

$91.1 CVE 8,951

-37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$564 CVE 55.4K

-12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

$285 CVE 28.0K

13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.4K

$900 CVE 88.4K

10.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.6K

$467 CVE 45.9K

34.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.7K

$1,335 CVE 131.2K

233.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.8K

$1,003 CVE 98.5K

202.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

$298 CVE 29.3K

14.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Praia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Praia

$285 23.9% 11.5% $37

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Praia

$346 29% 68.4% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Praia

$249 20.9% 48.3% $81

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Praia

$119 10% 25.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Praia

$109 9.1% 17.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Praia

$44 3.7% 3.3% $1.5

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Praia

$40 3.4% 169% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $564 in Praia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $36 in Praia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $346 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇨🇻 Praia

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

03:17 3:17 AM

9 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

127,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.18 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 98.25 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Praia 15,460 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Praia

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 Praia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $564 in Praia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $1,192 in Praia – Cebu is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 58% less than in Praia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Praia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Praia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.