Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Saku

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,099 in Saku, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Saku despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Saku
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Saku Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Saku

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Saku

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,099 in Saku.

Cebu $918
Saku $1,099

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,717 in Saku.

Cebu $1,409
Saku $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,335 in Saku.

Cebu $1,900
Saku $2,335

Living in Cebu costs roughly 16% less than in Saku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Saku 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$16.76 €14.91

-81.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$70.7 €62.9

-65.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$11.11 €9.88

-64.72%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.97 €3.53

-36.78%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.23 €1.98

-28.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.24 €2.00

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.54 €5.82

-72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.87 €6.11

-68.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.13 €1.00

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.40 €1.25

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.38 €2.11

-57.56%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.88 €2.56

-29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.22 €9.98

-12.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.72 €7.76

-49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$14.88 €13.24

-48.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.03 €1.81

62.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.44 €1.28

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.54 €2.26

-8.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.92 €2.60

-48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.74 €0.66

218.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.76 €0.68

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.87 €1.67

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.97 €0.86

-35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.54 €5.82

-54.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$9.88 €8.79

-38.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.86 €1.66

-33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.12 €1.88

-17.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.51 €3.12

-78.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.98 €0.87

-76.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$26.71 €23.75

-83.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.01 €1.79

-34.83%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$27.7K €24.6K

-23.28%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$30.6K €27.2K

-37.37%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$301 €268

-60.11%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.48 €15.55

-19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$32.69 €29.07

-15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$11.71 €10.42

-51.75%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$438 €390

-37.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$9,942 €8,844

-20.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$100 €89.0

-50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$48.96 €43.55

-48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$103 €91.9

-25.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$121 €108

-52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,013 €3,570

-28.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,700 €2,402

-29.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,813 €1,613

-80.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.44

109.30%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Saku: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Saku

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Saku

$268 24.4% 30.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Saku

$352 32% 117% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Saku

$168 15.3% 78.9% $74

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Saku

$279 25.4% 217% $191

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Saku

$23 * 2.1% 46.3% $20

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Saku

$8.4 * 0.8% 46.1% $7.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Saku pays 424% 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 $71.0 in Saku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $268 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇪🇪 Saku

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

4,548

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Saku 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Saku

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 Saku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 424% lower in Saku. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Saku. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,099 in Saku – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saku, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Saku 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 20% less than in Saku. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.