Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Puerto Galera

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Galera: $827 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Galera
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Puerto Galera Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Puerto Galera

🇵🇭 Philippines

$827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Puerto Galera

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $827 in Puerto Galera.

Cebu $934
Puerto Galera $827

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,247 in Puerto Galera.

Cebu $1,423
Puerto Galera $1,247

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,668 in Puerto Galera.

Cebu $1,913
Puerto Galera $1,668

Living in Cebu is roughly 13% more expensive than in Puerto Galera, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Puerto Galera 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$4.39 ₱281

-13.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$18.41 ₱1,176

26.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.69 ₱172

46.47%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.69 ₱172

-5.58%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.69 ₱44.02

127.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.28 ₱17.93

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.44 ₱92.2

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.79 ₱178

-20.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.65 ₱105

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$1.14 ₱73.0

19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.89 ₱56.7

5.62%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.70 ₱109

17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$6.84 ₱437

41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$4.05 ₱259

6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$6.86 ₱439

9.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$3.92 ₱251

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.39 ₱89.0

-1.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$3.54 ₱226

-33.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.15 ₱73.5

29.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$3.24 ₱207

-42.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$1.39 ₱88.9

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.95 ₱61.0

-33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.80 ₱179

2.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$7.42 ₱474

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$1.33 ₱84.9

-4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.73 ₱110

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.23 ₱14.43

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$13.69 ₱875

-9.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.82 ₱52.2

-9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.21 ₱13.38

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$2.44 ₱156

75.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.20 ₱76.8

9.17%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

0.19%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

2.32%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$164 ₱10.5K

-27.97%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$14.04 ₱897

12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$23.63 ₱1,510

19.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$35.96 ₱2,298

-8.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$5.19 ₱332

25.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$7.17 ₱458

-23.99%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$71.8 ₱4,584

284.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$2,498 ₱159.6K

211.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$34.70 ₱2,217

38.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$22.04 ₱1,408

11.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$77.8 ₱4,971

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$73.6 ₱4,701

-21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$255 ₱16.3K

87.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$170 ₱10.8K

89.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$482 ₱30.8K

100.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$353 ₱22.6K

77.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$2,553 ₱163.1K

78.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$1,027 ₱65.6K

194.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.86%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Puerto Galera

$170 20.5% 47.3% $152

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Puerto Galera

$203 24.5% 0.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Puerto Galera

$202 24.4% 24.3% $40

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Puerto Galera

$92 11.2% 2% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Puerto Galera

$94 11.3% 1.1% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Puerto Galera

$50 6.1% 14.7% $6.4

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Puerto Galera

$16 2% 9.3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $255 in Puerto Galera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $18 in Puerto Galera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $203 per month, with Puerto Galera cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Puerto Galera

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

36,606

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cebu Puerto Galera 480 km

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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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Galera is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $1,241 in Puerto Galera to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Cebu versus $255 in Puerto Galera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 10% less than in Puerto Galera. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $827 in Puerto Galera – Puerto Galera is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Puerto Galera are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.