Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and St Lawrence

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $3,145 in St Lawrence, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in St Lawrence
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St Lawrence Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

St Lawrence

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in St Lawrence

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $3,145 in St Lawrence.

Cebu $934
St Lawrence $3,145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $5,181 in St Lawrence.

Cebu $1,415
St Lawrence $5,181

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $7,217 in St Lawrence.

Cebu $1,896
St Lawrence $7,217

Living in Cebu costs roughly 70% less than in St Lawrence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, St Lawrence is 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$39.08 JEP 29.59

-92.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$119 JEP 90.4

-80.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$10.76 JEP 8.14

-61.99%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.87 JEP 3.69

-48.25%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$3.24 JEP 2.45

-52.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$2.53 JEP 1.92

-80.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$8.03 JEP 6.08

-77.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$6.47 JEP 4.90

-65.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.31 JEP 1.75

-15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$2.81 JEP 2.13

-49.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.52 JEP 1.91

-59.52%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$5.74 JEP 4.34

-64.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$7.39 JEP 5.59

32.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$12.14 JEP 9.19

-62.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$18.11 JEP 13.71

-57.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$4.25 JEP 3.22

-22.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$3.44 JEP 2.60

-57.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$4.17 JEP 3.16

-43.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$4.51 JEP 3.41

-65.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.23 JEP 2.44

-26.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$3.13 JEP 2.37

-36.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.82 JEP 1.37

-36.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$2.47 JEP 1.87

-72.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$19.71 JEP 14.92

-84.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$10.64 JEP 8.06

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$4.59 JEP 3.47

-71.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$7.81 JEP 5.91

-77.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$5.21 JEP 3.95

-85.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.43 JEP 1.84

-91.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$53.5 JEP 40.52

-91.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.11 JEP 1.60

-36.97%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$26.6K JEP 20.1K

-18.08%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$36.1K JEP 27.3K

-46.26%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$318 JEP 241

-62.11%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$33.88 JEP 25.64

-57.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$72.3 JEP 54.8

-60.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$93.8 JEP 71.0

-65.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$20.21 JEP 15.30

-72.98%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$833 JEP 631

-67.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$12.0K JEP 9,107

-32.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$104 JEP 78.7

-52.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$72.8 JEP 55.1

-65.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$120 JEP 90.6

-36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$207 JEP 156

-71.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,749 JEP 1,324

-71.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,482 JEP 1,122

-79.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$3,974 JEP 3,008

-73.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$3,325 JEP 2,517

-81.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.08

76.47%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for St Lawrence: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

St Lawrence

$1.5K 46.6% 379% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

St Lawrence

$415 13.1% 97.3% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

St Lawrence

$424 13.4% 160% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

St Lawrence

$226 7.1% 139% $132

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

St Lawrence

$480 15.1% 443% $391

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

St Lawrence

$134 4.2% 208% $91

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

St Lawrence

$17 * 0.6% 12.4% $1.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $1,749 in St Lawrence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $119 in St Lawrence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $415 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇯🇪 St Lawrence

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

5,500

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Jersey Pound JEP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 JEP = 1.32 USD

1 JEP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JEP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 JEP (1 JEP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 JEP (1 JEP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu St Lawrence 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
St Lawrence

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 St Lawrence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 237% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $4,717 in St Lawrence 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: $506 in Cebu versus $1,749 in St Lawrence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in St Lawrence. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $3,145 in St Lawrence – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $3,145 in St Lawrence, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in St Lawrence. 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 St Lawrence, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and St Lawrence 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 237% less than in St Lawrence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.