Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Serowe

For one person, living is cheaper in Serowe: $80.7 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Serowe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$80.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Serowe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $80.7 in Serowe.

Cebu $918
Serowe $80.7

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $141 in Serowe.

Cebu $1,409
Serowe $141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $201 in Serowe.

Cebu $1,900
Serowe $201

Living in Cebu is roughly 1037% more expensive than in Serowe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Serowe 94% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

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

$1.59 ₱100

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.37 P 18.30

40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.10 P 14.71

23.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.71 P 22.83

18.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$4.01 P 53.6

89.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.34 P 17.87

146.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.08 P 14.39

28.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.64 P 21.94

-8.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.43 P 19.13

65.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.40 P 18.74

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.72 P 9.66

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$120 ₱7,569

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

$14.00 ₱882

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$110 P 1,474

149.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,776 P 23.7K

345.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

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

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Serowe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Serowe

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Serowe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Serowe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Serowe

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Serowe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Serowe

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Serowe

–

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇼 Serowe

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

17:54 5:54 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

47,447

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Serowe 11,170 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Serowe

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 Serowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serowe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 1037% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $121 in Serowe 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 155% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $110 in Serowe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Serowe gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Serowe 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 Serowe 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 Serowe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1037% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.