Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Talisay City

For one person, living is cheaper in Talisay City: $719 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.

Cebu, Philippines
Talisay City, Philippines
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Talisay City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$719
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Talisay 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 Talisay City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $719 in Talisay City.

  • Cebu $934
  • Talisay City $719

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,085 in Talisay City.

  • Cebu $1,423
  • Talisay City $1,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,452 in Talisay City.

  • Cebu $1,913
  • Talisay City $1,452

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.79 ₱242
$3.84 ₱246
-1.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.33 ₱1,491
$16.71 ₱1,067
39.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.94 ₱252
$2.70 ₱173
45.93%
Cappuccino
$2.54 ₱163
$2.09 ₱134
21.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ₱100
$0.64 ₱40.80
145.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₱29.82
$0.31 ₱19.51
51.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.77 ₱113
$1.13 ₱72.5
56.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 ₱142
$2.11 ₱135
5.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.90 ₱121
$1.60 ₱102
18.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱87.1
$1.11 ₱70.6
22.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ₱59.8
$0.96 ₱61.3
-2.08%
Eggs
$1.99 ₱127
$1.93 ₱124
3.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.70 ₱620
$5.54 ₱354
75.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.32 ₱276
$4.21 ₱269
2.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.51 ₱480
$6.92 ₱442
8.53%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱211
$2.67 ₱170
23.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 ₱87.5
$1.49 ₱95.3
-8.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ₱149
$2.39 ₱153
-2.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱95.4
$1.21 ₱77.3
23.14%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 ₱147
$1.78 ₱114
29.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 ₱120
$2.20 ₱141
-15.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₱70.3
$1.05 ₱66.9
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱40.36
$0.55 ₱35.06
14.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.86 ₱183
$2.84 ₱181
0.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.08 ₱389
$8.12 ₱519
-25.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₱81.4
$0.87 ₱55.6
45.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₱110
$2.05 ₱131
-16.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 ₱13.99
$0.24 ₱15.20
-8.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.34 ₱788
$13.36 ₱854
-7.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱47.53
$0.75 ₱48.11
-1.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱14.08
$0.21 ₱13.20
4.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.28 ₱273
$2.09 ₱133
104.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱83.7
$1.17 ₱74.5
11.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K ₱1.3M
$22.8K ₱1.5M
-8.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$20.5K ₱1.3M
-7.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$118 ₱7,565
$119 ₱7,623
-0.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.76 ₱1,007
$17.16 ₱1,096
-8.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.33 ₱1,810
$23.44 ₱1,498
20.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.94 ₱2,105
$33.10 ₱2,115
-0.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.49 ₱415
$5.97 ₱382
8.71%
Cinema Ticket
$5.45 ₱348
$5.48 ₱350
-0.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$276 ₱17.6K
$128 ₱8,209
114.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,789 ₱497.7K
$6,975 ₱445.6K
11.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.18 ₱3,078
$28.15 ₱1,799
71.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.47 ₱1,564
$17.69 ₱1,130
38.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.3 ₱4,810
$71.6 ₱4,573
5.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.0 ₱3,707
$56.0 ₱3,580
3.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$477 ₱30.5K
$245 ₱15.7K
94.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$322 ₱20.6K
$163 ₱10.4K
97.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$963 ₱61.5K
$561 ₱35.9K
71.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$626 ₱40.0K
$314 ₱20.1K
99.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,551 ₱290.8K
$2,430 ₱155.3K
87.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,028 ₱193.5K
$1,109 ₱70.8K
173.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Talisay City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$333 ₱21.3K
$328 ₱21.0K
1.65%
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 Talisay City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$322
Talisay City
$163 49.5% $159
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$204
Talisay City
$180 11.6% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
Talisay City
$160 1.6% $2.6
Eating Out
Cebu
$94
Talisay City
$78 17.5% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$93
Talisay City
$78 15.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Talisay City
$44 0.5% $0.2
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Talisay City
$16 6.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $245 in Talisay City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $17 in Talisay City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $180 per month, with Talisay City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇵🇭 Talisay City
🕒 Local time
05:20 5:20 AM
05:20 5:20 AM
Same time as Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
133,148
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Talisay City 9 km
From you
  • Cebu
  • Talisay City

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 Talisay City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Talisay City cheaper than Cebu?
Talisay City is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $1,078 in Talisay City 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.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Talisay City?
Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Cebu versus $245 in Talisay City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Talisay City?
All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $719 in Talisay City – Talisay City is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 8% less than in Talisay City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Talisay City?
At $719 in Talisay City versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Talisay City but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Talisay City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Cebu or in Talisay City?
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.

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