Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Surigao

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $720 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Surigao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $720 in Surigao.

Cebu $934
Surigao $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,091 in Surigao.

Cebu $1,423
Surigao $1,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,463 in Surigao.

Cebu $1,913
Surigao $1,463

Living in Cebu is roughly 30% more expensive than in Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Surigao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱241

$3.89 ₱247

-2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,479

$15.54 ₱985

50.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱250

$2.77 ₱176

42.24%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱161

$1.97 ₱125

28.93%

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

$1.57 ₱99.4

$0.62 ₱39.22

153.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.58

$0.31 ₱19.89

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱112

$1.30 ₱82.5

36.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱141

$1.84 ₱117

20.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.58 ₱100

20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱86.4

$1.06 ₱67.3

28.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.4

$0.90 ₱57.3

4.44%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱126

$1.86 ₱118

6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱615

$5.91 ₱374

64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱274

$4.16 ₱263

3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱476

$6.77 ₱429

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱210

$2.01 ₱127

64.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.8

$1.67 ₱106

-17.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$2.56 ₱162

-8.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.6

$1.19 ₱75.6

25.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$2.12 ₱134

8.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱119

$2.35 ₱149

-20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱69.8

$1.21 ₱76.8

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.04

$0.59 ₱37.17

6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱181

$2.80 ₱178

2.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱386

$8.28 ₱525

-26.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.8

$1.02 ₱64.6

24.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱109

$1.85 ₱117

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.87

$0.24 ₱15.28

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱782

$13.99 ₱887

-11.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.15

$0.85 ₱54.1

-12.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.21 ₱13.16

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱271

$1.78 ₱113

140.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.0

$1.32 ₱83.6

-0.76%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$17.9K ₱1.1M

16.04%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

-0.69%

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

$118 ₱7,505

$119 ₱7,517

-0.16%

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

$15.76 ₱999

$13.92 ₱882

13.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,795

$34.88 ₱2,211

-18.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,088

$30.09 ₱1,907

9.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱411

$5.79 ₱367

12.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱346

$4.52 ₱286

20.58%

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

$276 ₱17.5K

$141 ₱8,949

95.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱493.7K

$7,921 ₱502.1K

-1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,054

$30.06 ₱1,905

60.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,551

$18.10 ₱1,147

35.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,772

$70.1 ₱4,443

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,677

$49.10 ₱3,112

18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.3K

$237 ₱15.0K

101.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.4K

$164 ₱10.4K

96.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.0K

$559 ₱35.4K

72.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱39.7K

$343 ₱21.7K

82.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱288.5K

$2,536 ₱160.8K

79.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱191.9K

$950 ₱60.2K

218.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.1K

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 Surigao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Surigao

$164 22.7% 49.2% $158

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Surigao

$181 25.1% 11.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Surigao

$167 23.3% 3% $4.9

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Surigao

$77 10.7% 18.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Surigao

$75 10.5% 18.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Surigao

$39 5.4% 10.8% $4.7

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Surigao

$17 2.3% 11.9% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $237 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $16 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $181 per month, with Surigao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Surigao

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

171,107

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cebu Surigao 180 km

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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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surigao is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $1,080 in Surigao 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 $237 in Surigao. 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 $720 in Surigao – Surigao is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 12% less than in Surigao. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 Surigao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.