Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Tamarisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarisi: $575 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Tamarisi
🇬🇪 Georgia
$575
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Tamarisi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $575 in Tamarisi.

  • Cebu $915
  • Tamarisi $575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $938 in Tamarisi.

  • Cebu $1,418
  • Tamarisi $938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,302 in Tamarisi.

  • Cebu $1,921
  • Tamarisi $1,302

Living in Cebu is roughly 59% more expensive than in Tamarisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Tamarisi 58% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05 ₱192
$10.16 ₾26.30
-69.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00 ₱1,511
$30.37 ₾78.6
-20.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.99 ₱251
$10.83 ₾28.02
-63.16%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ₱157
$2.05 ₾5.32
21.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱97.1
$0.82 ₾2.13
87.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₱31.37
$0.55 ₾1.43
-9.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.22 ₾3.15
45.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱136
$1.91 ₾4.95
13.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ₱126
$1.75 ₾4.53
14.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ₱86.2
$0.51 ₾1.31
168.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ₱64.9
$1.28 ₾3.30
-19.53%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.29 ₾5.92
-11.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.20 ₱642
$6.17 ₾15.98
65.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.45 ₱280
$4.82 ₾12.48
-7.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 ₱483
$10.55 ₾27.30
-27.30%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱208
$1.19 ₾3.09
178.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 ₱91.8
$1.54 ₾3.99
-5.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 ₱146
$1.49 ₾3.86
55.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱94.0
$1.78 ₾4.61
-16.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 ₱147
$0.77 ₾2.00
203.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$0.67 ₾1.73
189.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 ₱73.0
$1.22 ₾3.15
-4.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₱42.89
$0.69 ₾1.78
-1.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 ₱188
$3.01 ₾7.79
-0.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.24 ₱393
$3.93 ₾10.16
58.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.3
$1.63 ₾4.22
-24.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱109
$2.50 ₾6.48
-30.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₱14.36
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.34 ₱777
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 ₱49.96
$0.75 ₾1.94
5.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.86
$0.74 ₾1.91
-70.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 ₱286
$5.88 ₾15.21
-22.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ₱82.9
$1.28 ₾3.32
3.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ₱1.3M
$22.9K ₾59.3K
-8.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$22.2K ₾57.5K
-12.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 ₱7,464
$77.9 ₾202
52.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22 ₱896
$8.62 ₾22.33
64.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 ₱1,730
$14.84 ₾38.42
85.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.31 ₱2,034
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50 ₱409
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.40 ₱340
$4.94 ₾12.79
9.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$276 ₱17.4K
$128 ₾331
116.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,866 ₱495.3K
$2,719 ₾7,038
189.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 ₱3,108
$56.5 ₾146
-12.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58 ₱1,548
$39.57 ₾102
-37.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,825
$97.5 ₾252
-21.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9 ₱3,706
$87.1 ₾226
-32.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$503 ₱31.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ₱19.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 ₱67.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$632 ₱39.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,870 ₱180.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,877 ₱118.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Tamarisi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$336 ₱21.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
15.67
-54.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tamarisi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$305
Tamarisi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Tamarisi
$179 14.6% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160
Tamarisi
$101 36.7% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Tamarisi
$126 34.1% $32
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Tamarisi
$154 75.3% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43
Tamarisi
$9.9 * 77.1% $33
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Tamarisi
$4.4 * 70.8% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $30.00 in Tamarisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $179, with Tamarisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇬🇪 Tamarisi
🕒 Local time
22:16 10:16 PM
18:16 6:16 PM
4 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
1,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Tamarisi 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Tamarisi

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 Tamarisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tamarisi cheaper than Cebu?
Tamarisi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $862 in Tamarisi 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.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Tamarisi?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Tamarisi?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $575 in Tamarisi – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Tamarisi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Tamarisi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Tamarisi more family-friendly?
For families, Tamarisi 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Tamarisi?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Tamarisi 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 Tamarisi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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