Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Tagbilaran City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagbilaran City: $620 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Tagbilaran City
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Tagbilaran City Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Tagbilaran City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Tagbilaran City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $620 in Tagbilaran City.

Cebu $915
Tagbilaran City $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,005 in Tagbilaran City.

Cebu $1,418
Tagbilaran City $1,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,390 in Tagbilaran City.

Cebu $1,921
Tagbilaran City $1,390

Living in Cebu is roughly 47% more expensive than in Tagbilaran City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Tagbilaran City 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$2.93 ₱185

4.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$17.16 ₱1,081

39.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.91 ₱183

37.11%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.48 ₱156

0.81%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.99 ₱62.6

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.42 ₱26.32

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.77 ₱48.77

131.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.25 ₱142

-3.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.49 ₱94.0

34.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.01 ₱63.8

35.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.98 ₱61.9

5.10%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.72 ₱108

18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$9.68 ₱610

5.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.56 ₱287

-2.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.70 ₱485

-0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.90 ₱183

14.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.31 ₱82.3

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.36 ₱149

-1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.52 ₱95.8

-1.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.32 ₱146

0.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.90 ₱120

2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.70 ₱43.81

65.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.50 ₱31.38

36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.37 ₱149

26.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$6.33 ₱399

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$0.92 ₱58.1

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.04 ₱65.7

66.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.47 ₱29.42

-51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.79 ₱49.99

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.22 ₱13.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$4.38 ₱276

3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.03 ₱65.1

28.16%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-2.31%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

1.31%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$78.0 ₱4,911

51.99%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$14.28 ₱899

-0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$25.32 ₱1,594

8.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$10.92 ₱687

195.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$3.22 ₱203

101.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$3.60 ₱227

50.00%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$280 ₱17.6K

-1.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$7,908 ₱497.9K

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$36.94 ₱2,326

33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$17.89 ₱1,126

37.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$65.0 ₱4,094

17.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$58.2 ₱3,665

1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$190 ₱12.0K

164.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$135 ₱8,524

124.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$482 ₱30.3K

123.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$350 ₱22.0K

80.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$805 ₱50.7K

256.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$476 ₱30.0K

294.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$171 ₱10.8K

96.11%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Tagbilaran City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Tagbilaran City

$135 21.8% 55.5% $169

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Tagbilaran City

$189 30.5% 9.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Tagbilaran City

$118 19% 26.6% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Tagbilaran City

$80 12.9% 15% $14

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Tagbilaran City

$76 12.3% 13.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Tagbilaran City

$18 2.9% 58% $25

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Tagbilaran City

$3.8 * 0.6% 75.2% $11

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 $503 in Cebu and $190 in Tagbilaran City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 96% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $17.00 in Tagbilaran City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $189 per month, with Tagbilaran City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Tagbilaran City

🕒 Local time

17:33 5:33 PM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

86,411

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cebu Tagbilaran City 74 km

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 Tagbilaran City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagbilaran City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $190 in Tagbilaran City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $620 in Tagbilaran City – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Tagbilaran City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.