Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Samaxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Samaxi: $839 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Samaxi
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Samaxi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Samaxi

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Samaxi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $839 in Samaxi.

Cebu $934
Samaxi $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,503 in Samaxi.

Cebu $1,415
Samaxi $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,168 in Samaxi.

Cebu $1,896
Samaxi $2,168

Living in Cebu is roughly 11% more expensive than in Samaxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Samaxi 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$8.06 ₼13.69

-62.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$29.62 ₼50.3

-20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$5.72 ₼9.71

-28.50%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.72 ₼4.61

-7.35%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$0.92 ₼1.56

67.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.34 ₼0.58

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.19 ₼2.03

50.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.30 ₼3.92

-1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.30 ₼2.20

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$0.33 ₼0.56

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$2.36 ₼4.01

-56.78%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.18 ₼2.01

74.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$2.91 ₼4.95

237.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$4.48 ₼7.61

2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$8.59 ₼14.61

-10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$0.63 ₼1.08

425.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$1.54 ₼2.62

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.37 ₼2.34

72.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$1.01 ₼1.72

52.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.65 ₼1.10

263.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.49 ₼0.83

306.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$0.47 ₼0.79

144.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.59 ₼1.01

13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.54 ₼6.02

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$5.39 ₼9.16

17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$0.92 ₼1.56

42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.96 ₼3.34

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.30 ₼0.52

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$14.94 ₼25.38

-15.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$1.72 ₼2.92

-56.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.28 ₼0.47

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$2.97 ₼5.04

45.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$0.61 ₼1.03

118.03%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$23.2K ₼39.4K

-6.08%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$24.5K ₼41.6K

-20.73%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$33.45 ₼56.9

260.48%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$12.71 ₼21.61

13.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$14.59 ₼24.79

93.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$29.88 ₼50.8

9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$14.99 ₼25.47

-57.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$7.25 ₼12.33

-24.69%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$238 ₼404

14.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$11.8K ₼20.0K

-30.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$46.91 ₼79.7

5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$58.8 ₼100

-57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$120 ₼204

-36.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$118 ₼200

-49.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$375 ₼637

34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$289 ₼491

7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$717 ₼1,219

46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$871 ₼1,481

-28.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$2,028 ₼3,447

43.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$1,197 ₼2,034

56.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$339 ₼576

0.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Samaxi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Samaxi

$289 34.4% 6.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Samaxi

$141 16.9% 32.8% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Samaxi

$61 7.2% 62.8% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Samaxi

$154 18.4% 63.2% $60

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Samaxi

$130 15.5% 46.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Samaxi

$44 5.3% 1.8% $0.8

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Samaxi

$19 2.3% 24.7% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $375 in Samaxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 1% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $30.00 in Samaxi. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $141, with Samaxi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇦🇿 Samaxi

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

41,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Samaxi 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Samaxi

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 Samaxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samaxi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $375 in Samaxi. 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 $839 in Samaxi – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Samaxi runs roughly 18% 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 Samaxi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Samaxi 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 Samaxi 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 Samaxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.