Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and San Fernando, Philippines

Name: San Fernando
Address: San Fernando, PH

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $807 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇵🇭 Philippines

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in San Fernando

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $807 in San Fernando.

Cebu $943
San Fernando $807

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $1,271 in San Fernando.

Cebu $1,437
San Fernando $1,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $1,735 in San Fernando.

Cebu $1,930
San Fernando $1,735

Living in Cebu is roughly 17% more expensive than in San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, San Fernando 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱247

$3.07 ₱195

26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,476

$23.84 ₱1,516

-2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱248

$2.82 ₱179

38.30%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱163

$1.71 ₱109

49.71%

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

$1.60 ₱102

$0.64 ₱40.43

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.35

$0.38 ₱24.23

34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱112

$1.09 ₱69.3

61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱137

$1.95 ₱124

10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.76 ₱112

13.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱87.1

$0.87 ₱55.0

57.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.4

$0.96 ₱61.1

-1.04%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱128

$1.90 ₱121

6.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱612

$4.60 ₱293

109.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱277

$3.31 ₱210

31.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱490

$7.04 ₱448

9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱210

$2.58 ₱164

27.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$2.06 ₱131

-38.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.75 ₱175

-14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱96.3

$0.92 ₱58.2

64.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱142

$1.38 ₱88.0

61.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱123

$1.32 ₱83.8

46.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱75.2

$0.65 ₱41.09

81.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱41.33

$0.35 ₱22.37

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱184

$2.71 ₱172

6.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱404

$6.96 ₱442

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$0.75 ₱47.73

69.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱104

$2.95 ₱187

-44.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.56

$0.25 ₱15.80

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱778

$13.59 ₱864

-9.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.0

$1.00 ₱63.7

-18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$0.20 ₱12.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱275

$1.94 ₱123

122.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱87.6

$1.27 ₱80.7

8.66%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

0.86%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

1.16%

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

$124 ₱7,893

$96.3 ₱6,121

28.95%

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

$15.93 ₱1,013

$17.18 ₱1,092

-7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,785

$30.29 ₱1,926

-7.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,124

$31.66 ₱2,013

5.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱407

$15.57 ₱990

-58.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱372

$4.66 ₱296

25.54%

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

$271 ₱17.2K

$267 ₱17.0K

1.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱512.4K

$13.5K ₱855.9K

-40.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,072

$49.06 ₱3,119

-1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,562

$37.73 ₱2,399

-34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,904

$71.4 ₱4,542

7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,593

$78.4 ₱4,982

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.5K

$402 ₱25.6K

23.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$266 ₱16.9K

21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱63.0K

$724 ₱46.0K

36.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.9K

$560 ₱35.6K

12.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱283.5K

$4,249 ₱270.2K

4.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱192.6K

$2,385 ₱151.6K

27.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.86%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

San Fernando

$266 32.9% 17.5% $56

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

San Fernando

$167 20.7% 18.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

San Fernando

$144 17.8% 14.5% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

San Fernando

$67 8.3% 29.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

San Fernando

$106 13.2% 14.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

San Fernando

$41 5.1% 9.2% $4.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

San Fernando

$17 2.1% 10.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $402 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $24 in San Fernando. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $167, with San Fernando cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

354,666

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu San Fernando 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
San Fernando

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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $1,211 in San Fernando 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: $495 in Cebu versus $402 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $807 in San Fernando – San Fernando is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 10% less than in San Fernando. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

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.