Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Puerto Princesa

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $698 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $698 in Puerto Princesa.

Cebu $915
Puerto Princesa $698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,050 in Puerto Princesa.

Cebu $1,418
Puerto Princesa $1,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,401 in Puerto Princesa.

Cebu $1,921
Puerto Princesa $1,401

Living in Cebu is roughly 31% more expensive than in Puerto Princesa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Puerto Princesa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$4.28 ₱269

-28.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$16.79 ₱1,057

42.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$4.35 ₱274

-8.28%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.27 ₱143

10.13%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.88 ₱55.4

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.49 ₱30.57

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.21 ₱76.3

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.41 ₱152

-9.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.67 ₱105

19.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.00 ₱62.7

37.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.77 ₱48.58

33.77%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.75 ₱110

16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$5.62 ₱354

81.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$5.52 ₱347

-19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$6.87 ₱432

11.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.43 ₱153

36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.85 ₱53.5

71.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.38 ₱150

-2.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.12 ₱70.3

33.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.48 ₱93.0

58.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.33 ₱83.8

45.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.93 ₱58.6

24.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.73 ₱45.65

-6.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.82 ₱177

6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$7.19 ₱452

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.01 ₱63.8

21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.32 ₱83.4

31.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.24 ₱15.21

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$12.04 ₱758

2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.77 ₱48.78

2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.25 ₱15.83

-12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$1.86 ₱117

144.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.05 ₱66.0

25.71%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$16.7K ₱1.0M

26.12%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

0.41%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$61.6 ₱3,875

92.61%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$11.07 ₱697

28.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$25.05 ₱1,577

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$32.44 ₱2,042

-0.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$4.50 ₱284

44.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.19 ₱327

4.05%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$130 ₱8,193

112.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$9,135 ₱575.1K

-13.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$33.53 ₱2,111

47.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$19.08 ₱1,202

28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$72.6 ₱4,572

5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$54.9 ₱3,457

7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$286 ₱18.0K

76.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$195 ₱12.3K

55.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$515 ₱32.4K

108.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$319 ₱20.1K

98.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,443 ₱153.8K

17.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,002 ₱63.1K

87.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$224 ₱14.1K

49.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.12

-11.33%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Puerto Princesa

$195 27.9% 35.9% $109

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Puerto Princesa

$176 25.2% 16.1% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Puerto Princesa

$98 14% 39% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Puerto Princesa

$81 11.6% 14% $13

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Puerto Princesa

$91 13% 3.5% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Puerto Princesa

$43 6.1% 0.7% $0.3

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Puerto Princesa

$15 2.2% 0.8% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $286 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 50% 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 $17.00 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $176 per month, with Puerto Princesa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

307,079

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Puerto Princesa 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Puerto Princesa

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 Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Princesa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $503 in Cebu versus $286 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $698 in Puerto Princesa – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Princesa runs roughly 2% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Puerto Princesa 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.