Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

For one person, living is cheaper in Subic Bay Freeport Zone: $641 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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Subic Bay Freeport Zone Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🇵🇭 Philippines

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Cebu $934
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $978 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Cebu $1,423
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,315 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Cebu $1,913
Subic Bay Freeport Zone $1,315

Living in Cebu is roughly 46% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$4.60 ₱293

-17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,486

$14.04 ₱894

66.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱251

$5.13 ₱327

-23.20%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱162

$2.21 ₱141

14.93%

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

$1.57 ₱99.9

$0.68 ₱43.04

130.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.73

$0.33 ₱21.32

42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱112

$1.39 ₱88.6

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱141

$2.01 ₱128

10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.58 ₱100

20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱86.9

$1.09 ₱69.5

24.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$0.85 ₱54.1

10.59%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.93 ₱123

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱618

$4.86 ₱310

99.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱275

$3.99 ₱254

8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱478

$7.56 ₱481

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.13 ₱136

55.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.2

$1.73 ₱110

-20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.54 ₱162

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.1

$1.15 ₱73.3

29.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$2.21 ₱141

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱119

$2.08 ₱133

-10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.1

$0.92 ₱58.6

19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.23

$0.61 ₱38.57

3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱182

$2.84 ₱181

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱388

$7.35 ₱468

-17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.2

$0.92 ₱58.8

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.83 ₱117

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.94

$0.18 ₱11.78

22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱786

$12.86 ₱819

-4.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.38

$0.80 ₱51.3

-7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.04

$0.21 ₱13.37

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱272

$1.85 ₱118

131.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.4

$1.03 ₱65.8

27.18%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

8.55%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$20.0K ₱1.3M

-4.58%

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

$118 ₱7,542

$135 ₱8,578

-12.09%

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

$15.76 ₱1,004

$14.33 ₱913

9.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,804

$16.57 ₱1,055

70.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,098

$30.08 ₱1,916

9.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱413

$5.28 ₱337

22.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱347

$5.23 ₱333

4.21%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$127 ₱8,078

117.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱496.1K

$7,688 ₱489.6K

1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,069

$29.05 ₱1,850

65.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,559

$20.80 ₱1,325

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,795

$63.5 ₱4,046

18.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,695

$46.93 ₱2,989

23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.4K

$124 ₱7,896

284.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.5K

$77.0 ₱4,905

317.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.3K

$323 ₱20.6K

198.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱39.9K

$186 ₱11.9K

236.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱289.9K

$2,434 ₱155.0K

86.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱192.9K

$1,143 ₱72.8K

165.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.92

4.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$77 12% 76.1% $245

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$177 27.6% 13.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$166 25.8% 1.9% $3.1

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$94 14.6% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$72 11.3% 22.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$41 6.3% 7.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

$15 2.4% 2.6% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $14 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $177 per month, with Subic Bay Freeport Zone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Subic Bay Freeport Zone

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

221,178

💱 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

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Cebu Subic Bay Freeport Zone 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
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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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subic Bay Freeport Zone is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $962 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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: $477 in Cebu versus $124 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 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 $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone – Subic Bay Freeport Zone is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 4% less than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $641 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Subic Bay Freeport Zone but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Subic Bay Freeport Zone are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.