Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Seki

For one person, living is cheaper in Seki: $756 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Seki
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
$756
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Seki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $756 in Seki.

  • Cebu $918
  • Seki $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,262 in Seki.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Seki $1,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,768 in Seki.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Seki $1,768

Living in Cebu is roughly 21% more expensive than in Seki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Seki 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$9.03 ₼15.35
-65.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$39.66 ₼67.4
-38.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$8.32 ₼14.15
-52.88%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$3.43 ₼5.83
-26.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$1.08 ₼1.84
47.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.62 ₼1.06
-14.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.77 ₼3.01
0.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.87 ₼4.88
-24.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.50 ₼2.54
28.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.52 ₼0.89
161.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$2.44 ₼4.15
-58.61%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.00 ₼3.40
1.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$5.27 ₼8.96
87.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$5.06 ₼8.60
-13.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$11.84 ₼20.13
-35.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$1.35 ₼2.29
144.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.88 ₼3.19
-26.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.56 ₼2.66
49.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.84 ₼3.12
-18.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.73 ₼1.24
223.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.61 ₼1.03
211.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.78 ₼1.33
52.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.74 ₼1.25
-14.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$2.89 ₼4.91
3.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$8.81 ₼14.97
-31.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.51 ₼2.56
-18.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.80 ₼4.76
-37.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Seki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.28 ₼0.48
-10.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$17.84 ₼30.33
-29.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$2.10 ₼3.57
-63.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.57 ₼0.97
-59.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$3.51 ₼5.96
27.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$0.70 ₼1.19
87.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$23.7K ₼40.3K
-10.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$21.1K ₼35.8K
-9.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$23.36 ₼39.70
414.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$8.76 ₼14.89
59.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$11.16 ₼18.97
146.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$17.99 ₼30.58
79.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$23.61 ₼40.13
-71.83%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$5.94 ₼10.10
-4.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$329 ₼559
-16.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$6,751 ₼11.5K
17.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$65.8 ₼112
-24.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$55.1 ₼93.7
-54.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$126 ₼214
-38.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$113 ₼193
-49.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Seki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$218 ₼370
129.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$143 ₼243
115.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$455 ₼773
137.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$258 ₼439
138.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$636 ₼1,081
353.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$350 ₼595
447.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Seki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$247 ₼420
39.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
9.46
-23.89%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seki: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Seki
$143 53.7% $166
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Seki
$194 5.7% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Seki
$43 73.2% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Seki
$162 72.6% $68
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Seki
$160 81.1% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Seki
$30 31.5% $14
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Seki
$24 53.7% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $218 in Seki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 40% 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 $40.00 in Seki. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $194, with Seki cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇦🇿 Seki
🕒 Local time
03:48 3:48 AM
23:48 11:48 PM
4 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
68,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.523 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Seki 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Seki

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 Seki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seki cheaper than Cebu?
Seki is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Seki?
Average pay runs 40% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Seki?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $218 in Seki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Seki?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $756 in Seki – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Seki runs roughly 41% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Seki?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Seki gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Seki more family-friendly?
For families, Seki 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Seki?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Seki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Seki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cebu vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?