Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Quezon City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Quezon City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $860 in Quezon City.

Cebu $918
Quezon City $860

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,372 in Quezon City.

Cebu $1,409
Quezon City $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,885 in Quezon City.

Cebu $1,900
Quezon City $1,885

Living in Cebu is roughly 7% more expensive than in Quezon City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Quezon City 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.48 ₱282

-31.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$18.90 ₱1,190

28.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.84 ₱179

38.03%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.79 ₱175

-10.04%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.75 ₱47.41

112.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 ₱16.78

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.45 ₱91.6

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.83 ₱178

-23.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.68 ₱106

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.14 ₱71.6

19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.84 ₱53.0

20.24%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.75 ₱110

16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$6.69 ₱421

47.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.24 ₱267

3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.23 ₱455

5.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.96 ₱250

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.36 ₱85.7

2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.46 ₱218

-32.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.13 ₱71.3

32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.35 ₱148

0.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$3.32 ₱209

-42.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.42 ₱89.7

-16.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.97 ₱61.2

-35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.82 ₱178

6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.73 ₱487

-21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.33 ₱83.8

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.79 ₱113

-2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.36 ₱22.92

-30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$19.25 ₱1,212

-34.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.77 ₱48.63

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.21 ₱13.22

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.57 ₱162

73.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.18 ₱74.6

11.02%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.4K ₱1.4M

-0.96%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

0.21%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$163 ₱10.2K

-26.10%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$14.34 ₱903

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$24.17 ₱1,522

13.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$38.36 ₱2,415

-15.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$3.30 ₱207

101.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.01 ₱441

-19.40%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$71.8 ₱4,522

283.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,491 ₱156.8K

217.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$35.65 ₱2,245

38.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$22.77 ₱1,433

10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$77.8 ₱4,898

-1.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$77.0 ₱4,850

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$312 ₱19.7K

59.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$187 ₱11.8K

65.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$746 ₱47.0K

44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$537 ₱33.8K

14.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,370 ₱149.2K

21.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,425 ₱89.7K

34.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$429 ₱27.0K

-19.36%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Quezon City

$187 21.8% 39.4% $122

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Quezon City

$206 24% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Quezon City

$201 23.4% 24.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Quezon City

$96 11.2% 2.2% $2

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Quezon City

$95 11% 7.4% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Quezon City

$52 6.1% 20.1% $8.8

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Quezon City

$23 2.6% 44.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $312 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quezon City pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $19.00 in Quezon City. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

2,936,116

💱 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 Quezon City 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Quezon City

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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quezon City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Quezon City. 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 $312 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $860 in Quezon City – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 52% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Quezon City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Quezon City 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 Quezon City 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 Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.