Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Roxas

For one person, living is cheaper in Roxas: $589 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Roxas
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Roxas Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Roxas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Roxas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $589 in Roxas.

Cebu $915
Roxas $589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $922 in Roxas.

Cebu $1,418
Roxas $922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,255 in Roxas.

Cebu $1,921
Roxas $1,255

Living in Cebu is roughly 55% more expensive than in Roxas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Roxas 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$2.83 ₱178

7.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$19.14 ₱1,205

25.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.45 ₱154

62.86%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.87 ₱118

33.69%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.46 ₱28.79

234.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.18 ₱11.35

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.05 ₱66.2

69.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.77 ₱111

22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.60 ₱101

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.91 ₱57.2

50.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.84 ₱52.8

22.62%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.97 ₱124

3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$6.07 ₱382

68.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$3.95 ₱249

12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$6.17 ₱388

24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.63 ₱103

103.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.99 ₱62.2

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.23 ₱77.7

88.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$0.84 ₱52.7

77.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.95 ₱59.6

146.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.98 ₱61.8

97.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.41 ₱88.8

-17.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.78 ₱49.10

-12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.19 ₱138

36.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$6.56 ₱413

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.08 ₱68.2

13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.29 ₱81.4

34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.25 ₱16.03

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$9.99 ₱629

23.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.84 ₱52.7

-5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.36 ₱22.70

-38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$2.43 ₱153

86.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.00 ₱62.8

32.00%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.21%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-0.15%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$64.3 ₱4,046

84.48%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$8.08 ₱509

75.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$21.45 ₱1,351

28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$28.96 ₱1,823

11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$4.49 ₱283

44.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$4.75 ₱299

13.68%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$32.36 ₱2,037

752.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$8,551 ₱538.4K

-8.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$32.46 ₱2,044

52.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$19.18 ₱1,207

28.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$56.0 ₱3,525

36.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$23.95 ₱1,508

145.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$271 ₱17.0K

85.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$164 ₱10.3K

86.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$577 ₱36.3K

86.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$329 ₱20.7K

92.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,409 ₱151.7K

19.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$986 ₱62.1K

90.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$575 ₱36.2K

-41.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.33

-1.77%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Roxas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Roxas

$164 27.8% 46.3% $141

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Roxas

$157 26.6% 25.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Roxas

$94 15.9% 41.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Roxas

$59 10.1% 37.2% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Roxas

$64 10.8% 27.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Roxas

$38 6.5% 10.8% $4.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Roxas

$14 2.3% 10% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $271 in Roxas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roxas pays 71% 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 Roxas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $157 per month, with Roxas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Roxas

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

167,003

💱 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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Highest

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Cebu Roxas 190 km

From you

Cebu
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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 Roxas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roxas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Roxas. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $271 in Roxas. 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 $589 in Roxas – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roxas runs roughly 24% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Roxas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Roxas 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 Roxas 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 Roxas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.