Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Resen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $979 in Resen, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. The total is higher in Resen despite lower rent and utilities.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Resen
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$979
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Resen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $979 in Resen.

  • Cebu $918
  • Resen $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,481 in Resen.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Resen $1,481

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,983 in Resen.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Resen $1,983

Living in Cebu costs roughly 6% less than in Resen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$9.54 MKD 520
-67.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$34.85 MKD 1,901
-30.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$6.46 MKD 352
-39.32%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.05 MKD 112
22.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$1.88 MKD 103
-15.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$1.38 MKD 75.3
-61.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$2.66 MKD 145
-33.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.62 MKD 143
-17.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.29 MKD 70.3
48.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.74 MKD 40.55
83.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.77 MKD 96.5
-42.94%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.52 MKD 137
-19.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$7.84 MKD 428
25.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$7.24 MKD 395
-39.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$14.77 MKD 806
-48.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$1.48 MKD 80.5
122.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.38 MKD 75.4
0.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.31 MKD 71.3
77.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.97 MKD 107
-23.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.82 MKD 44.79
187.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.83 MKD 45.54
128.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.59 MKD 32.32
101.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.59 MKD 32.25
6.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$3.49 MKD 190
-14.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$7.19 MKD 392
-16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.03 MKD 56.1
19.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.43 MKD 78.0
22.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Resen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.68 MKD 36.90
-63.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$22.53 MKD 1,229
-43.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$1.12 MKD 61.0
-31.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.61 MKD 33.28
-62.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$7.64 MKD 417
-41.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.54 MKD 84.1
-14.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$35.5K MKD 1.9M
-40.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$27.0K MKD 1.5M
-29.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$155 MKD 8,458
-22.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$18.92 MKD 1,032
-26.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$19.05 MKD 1,039
44.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$22.04 MKD 1,202
46.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$17.21 MKD 939
-61.36%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$7.20 MKD 393
-21.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$358 MKD 19.5K
-23.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$5,591 MKD 305.0K
41.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$83.1 MKD 4,535
-40.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$37.50 MKD 2,045
-32.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$101 MKD 5,513
-23.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$112 MKD 6,108
-48.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Resen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$296 MKD 16.1K
68.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$210 MKD 11.5K
47.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$543 MKD 29.6K
98.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$317 MKD 17.3K
94.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$1,431 MKD 78.0K
101.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$1,265 MKD 69.0K
51.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Resen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
4.23
70.21%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Resen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Resen
$210 32% $99
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Resen
$208 1.1% $2.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Resen
$193 19.3% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Resen
$150 59.9% $56
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Resen
$152 72% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Resen
$36 16.4% $7.2
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Resen
$29 88.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $296 in Resen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $35.00 in Resen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $208 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇲🇰 Resen
🕒 Local time
12:04 12:04 PM
06:04 6:04 AM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
8,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Resen 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Resen

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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Resen cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,469 in Resen 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.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Resen?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $296 in Resen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Resen?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $979 in Resen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 78% less than in Resen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Resen?
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.
Is Cebu or Resen more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Resen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Resen?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Resen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Resen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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