Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and San Juan, Philippines

Name: San Juan
Address: San Juan, PH

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $727 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $727 in San Juan.

Cebu $934
San Juan $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,099 in San Juan.

Cebu $1,423
San Juan $1,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,471 in San Juan.

Cebu $1,913
San Juan $1,471

Living in Cebu is roughly 28% more expensive than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, San Juan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$4.00 ₱256

-5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$16.19 ₱1,034

44.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.80 ₱179

40.71%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.61 ₱167

-2.68%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.61 ₱38.88

157.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.33 ₱21.37

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.01 ₱64.4

75.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.54 ₱98.5

44.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.67 ₱107

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$1.13 ₱72.5

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.91 ₱58.2

3.30%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.77 ₱113

12.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$4.98 ₱318

94.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$3.31 ₱212

30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$6.98 ₱446

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.20 ₱141

50.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.40 ₱89.1

-2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.27 ₱145

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.00 ₱64.1

49.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.73 ₱110

32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$1.69 ₱108

10.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$0.60 ₱38.28

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.89 ₱56.6

-29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.70 ₱173

5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$7.51 ₱480

-19.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$0.93 ₱59.7

36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.74 ₱111

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.25 ₱15.96

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$11.48 ₱734

7.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.75 ₱47.69

-1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.21 ₱13.40

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$1.87 ₱119

128.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.17 ₱74.7

11.97%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-1.19%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-0.55%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$136 ₱8,705

-13.09%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$14.17 ₱905

11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$23.95 ₱1,530

18.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$27.03 ₱1,727

21.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$5.16 ₱330

25.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$5.01 ₱320

8.78%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$70.3 ₱4,494

292.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$2,442 ₱156.0K

218.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$28.72 ₱1,835

67.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$19.22 ₱1,228

27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$71.0 ₱4,534

6.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$55.3 ₱3,532

4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$269 ₱17.2K

77.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$170 ₱10.9K

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$493 ₱31.5K

95.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$357 ₱22.8K

75.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$2,304 ₱147.2K

97.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$1,186 ₱75.8K

155.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$235 ₱15.0K

41.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

San Juan

$170 23.4% 47.2% $152

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

San Juan

$169 23.3% 16.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

San Juan

$174 24% 7.3% $12

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

San Juan

$84 11.5% 11.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

San Juan

$78 10.8% 15.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

San Juan

$37 5.1% 15.5% $6.8

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

San Juan

$14 2% 5.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $269 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $16 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $169 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 San Juan

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

126,347

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu San Juan 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $477 in Cebu versus $269 in San Juan. 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 $727 in San Juan – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 7% 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 San Juan 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.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.