Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Saintes

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,872 in Saintes, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Saintes
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Saintes Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Saintes

🇫🇷 France

$1,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Saintes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,872 in Saintes.

Cebu $934
Saintes $1,872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $2,858 in Saintes.

Cebu $1,423
Saintes $2,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $3,843 in Saintes.

Cebu $1,913
Saintes $3,843

Living in Cebu costs roughly 50% less than in Saintes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 31% below, Saintes is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱243

$22.58 €20.29

-83.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,493

$68.3 €61.4

-65.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$6.52 €5.86

-39.57%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$3.69 €3.31

-31.17%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$2.71 €2.44

-42.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.87

$1.35 €1.21

-65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$7.35 €6.60

-75.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$4.62 €4.15

-51.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.04 €0.93

82.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.3

$1.85 €1.66

-26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.9

$1.88 €1.69

-50.00%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.26 €2.03

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱621

$23.82 €21.41

-59.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$11.79 €10.59

-63.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱481

$17.67 €15.88

-57.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱212

$4.20 €3.77

-21.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.6

$3.71 €3.33

-63.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱150

$1.94 €1.74

20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.5

$5.14 €4.62

-71.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$0.76 €0.68

202.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$1.20 €1.07

55.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.4

$1.71 €1.53

-35.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.42

$0.34 €0.31

85.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$14.46 €12.99

-80.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$12.93 €11.62

-52.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.6

$2.39 €2.15

-46.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.36 €2.12

-27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$1.86 €1.67

-88.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱790

$44.18 €39.69

-72.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.60

$4.37 €3.93

-83.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.10

$2.31 €2.08

-90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱274

$33.94 €30.49

-87.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.8

$1.94 €1.74

-32.47%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$36.5K €32.8K

-43.08%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$38.1K €34.2K

-49.94%

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

$118 ₱7,577

$134 €120

-11.66%

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

$15.76 ₱1,009

$11.13 €10.00

41.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,813

$33.75 €30.33

-16.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,108

$35.92 €32.27

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱349

$9.91 €8.91

-45.01%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$849 €762

-67.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱498.4K

$10.9K €9,791

-28.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,083

$109 €97.9

-55.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,566

$38.98 €35.02

-37.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,817

$108 €97.0

-30.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,713

$150 €134

-61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$691 €621

-30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$717 €644

-55.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.6K

$1,441 €1,295

-33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$1,179 €1,060

-46.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱291.2K

$3,571 €3,209

27.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.8K

$3,323 €2,986

-8.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.79

89.97%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saintes: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Saintes

$717 38.3% 123% $395

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Saintes

$364 19.4% 78.5% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Saintes

$179 9.6% 10.1% $16

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Saintes

$307 16.4% 226% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Saintes

$183 9.8% 96.9% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Saintes

$56 3% 27.1% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Saintes

$68 3.6% 349% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $691 in Saintes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $68 in Saintes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $364 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇫🇷 Saintes

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

25,518

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Saintes 11,690 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Saintes

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 Saintes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $2,808 in Saintes 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 $691 in Saintes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,872 in Saintes – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 72% less than in Saintes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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 Saintes 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Saintes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.