Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Takamatsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,191 in Takamatsu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Takamatsu
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,191
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Takamatsu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,191 in Takamatsu.

  • Cebu $915
  • Takamatsu $1,191

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,881 in Takamatsu.

  • Cebu $1,418
  • Takamatsu $1,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $2,571 in Takamatsu.

  • Cebu $1,921
  • Takamatsu $2,571

Living in Cebu costs roughly 23% less than in Takamatsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Takamatsu 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05 ₱192
$6.20 ¥980
-50.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00 ₱1,511
$31.99 ¥5,054
-24.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.99 ₱251
$5.12 ¥809
-22.07%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ₱157
$3.13 ¥495
-20.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱97.1
$1.19 ¥189
29.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₱31.37
$0.80 ¥126
-37.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$2.60 ¥410
-31.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱136
$3.22 ¥508
-32.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ₱126
$1.50 ¥238
33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ₱86.2
$1.60 ¥252
-14.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ₱64.9
$1.76 ¥278
-41.48%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.29 ¥361
-11.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.20 ₱642
$10.37 ¥1,639
-1.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.45 ₱280
$6.60 ¥1,043
-32.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 ₱483
$16.83 ¥2,659
-54.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱208
$3.69 ¥583
-10.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 ₱91.8
$2.28 ¥360
-35.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 ₱146
$2.90 ¥458
-20.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱94.0
$4.24 ¥671
-64.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 ₱147
$2.48 ¥391
-5.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$2.46 ¥389
-21.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 ₱73.0
$1.27 ¥201
-8.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₱42.89
$0.79 ¥124
-13.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 ₱188
$3.67 ¥580
-18.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.24 ₱393
$6.63 ¥1,048
-5.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.3
$1.88 ¥298
-34.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱109
$2.11 ¥333
-18.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₱14.36
$1.46 ¥231
-84.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.34 ₱777
$53.3 ¥8,414
-76.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 ₱49.96
$3.18 ¥503
-75.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.86
$2.79 ¥442
-92.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 ₱286
$18.60 ¥2,938
-75.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ₱82.9
$1.06 ¥168
24.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ₱1.3M
$21.5K ¥3.4M
-2.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$15.1K ¥2.4M
28.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 ₱7,464
$137 ¥21.6K
-13.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22 ₱896
$23.78 ¥3,757
-40.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 ₱1,730
$30.79 ¥4,865
-10.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.31 ₱2,034
$51.7 ¥8,161
-37.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50 ₱409
$3.11 ¥491
109.00%
Cinema Ticket
$5.40 ₱340
$11.79 ¥1,862
-54.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$276 ₱17.4K
$521 ¥82.3K
-46.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,866 ₱495.3K
$12.7K ¥2.0M
-37.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 ₱3,108
$48.96 ¥7,736
0.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58 ₱1,548
$31.24 ¥4,936
-21.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,825
$60.1 ¥9,499
27.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9 ₱3,706
$90.5 ¥14.3K
-34.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$503 ₱31.7K
$529 ¥83.6K
-4.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ₱19.2K
$334 ¥52.8K
-8.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 ₱67.7K
$1,089 ¥172.0K
-1.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$632 ₱39.8K
$735 ¥116.1K
-13.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,870 ₱180.7K
$4,144 ¥654.7K
-30.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,877 ₱118.2K
$1,783 ¥281.6K
5.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Takamatsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$336 ₱21.1K
$1,761 ¥278.1K
-80.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
2.21
225.79%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Takamatsu: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$305
Takamatsu
$334 9.8% $30
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Takamatsu
$280 33.8% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160
Takamatsu
$191 19.4% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Takamatsu
$104 10.2% $9.6
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Takamatsu
$130 48.1% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43
Takamatsu
$75 74.5% $32
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Takamatsu
$76 403% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $529 in Takamatsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Takamatsu pays 424% 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 $32.00 in Takamatsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $280 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇯🇵 Takamatsu
🕒 Local time
12:09 12:09 PM
13:09 1:09 PM
1 h ahead of Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
426,514
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Takamatsu 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Takamatsu

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 Takamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Takamatsu cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Takamatsu?
On paper, salaries run 424% lower in Takamatsu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Takamatsu?
Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $529 in Takamatsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Takamatsu?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $1,191 in Takamatsu – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 332% less than in Takamatsu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Takamatsu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $1,191 in Takamatsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Takamatsu. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Takamatsu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Takamatsu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Takamatsu?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Takamatsu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Takamatsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cebu vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?