Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Shiso

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,048 in Shiso, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Shiso despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Shiso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,048 in Shiso.

Cebu $915
Shiso $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,913 in Shiso.

Cebu $1,418
Shiso $1,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $2,777 in Shiso.

Cebu $1,921
Shiso $2,777

Living in Cebu costs roughly 13% less than in Shiso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Shiso 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$7.87 ¥1,244

-61.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$68.0 ¥10.7K

-64.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$6.29 ¥993

-36.57%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$3.69 ¥584

-32.25%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.83 ¥132

85.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.72 ¥114

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.58 ¥407

-31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.15 ¥497

-31.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.52 ¥240

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$3.00 ¥474

-54.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$4.87 ¥769

-78.85%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.19 ¥346

-7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$10.19 ¥1,609

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$6.48 ¥1,023

-31.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$27.01 ¥4,267

-71.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$5.33 ¥842

-37.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.59 ¥409

-43.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$4.06 ¥641

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$5.97 ¥943

-75.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$4.29 ¥678

-45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.60 ¥411

-25.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.38 ¥218

-15.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.83 ¥130

-18.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$4.11 ¥650

-27.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$7.66 ¥1,211

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.92 ¥303

-35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.22 ¥351

-22.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$1.36 ¥216

-83.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$33.90 ¥5,356

-63.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$3.57 ¥564

-77.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$2.88 ¥455

-92.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$20.87 ¥3,297

-78.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.28 ¥202

3.13%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$22.9K ¥3.6M

-8.26%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

14.27%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$144 ¥22.8K

-17.89%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$23.93 ¥3,781

-40.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$13.58 ¥2,146

102.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$36.74 ¥5,805

-12.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$13.71 ¥2,167

-52.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$4.59 ¥726

17.65%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$283 ¥44.8K

-2.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$13.6K ¥2.1M

-42.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$10.06 ¥1,589

390.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$29.87 ¥4,720

-17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$33.76 ¥5,334

127.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$99.7 ¥15.7K

-40.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$470 ¥74.3K

7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$165 ¥26.0K

84.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$862 ¥136.1K

24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$659 ¥104.2K

-4.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$4,229 ¥668.1K

-32.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,769 ¥279.5K

6.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

1.78

304.49%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Shiso

$165 15.7% 45.9% $140

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Shiso

$368 35.2% 75.8% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Shiso

$182 17.4% 13.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Shiso

$78 7.4% 17.2% $16

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Shiso

$152 14.5% 72.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Shiso

$46 4.4% 6.6% $2.8

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Shiso

$57 5.5% 278% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $470 in Shiso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $68.0 in Shiso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $368 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇯🇵 Shiso

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

1 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

36,610

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Shiso 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Shiso

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 Shiso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $1,572 in Shiso 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: $503 in Cebu versus $470 in Shiso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $1,048 in Shiso – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 175% less than in Shiso. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,048 in Shiso, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Shiso. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shiso, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Shiso 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Shiso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.