Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Tema

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $738 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Tema

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $738 in Tema.

Cebu $934
Tema $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,173 in Tema.

Cebu $1,415
Tema $1,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,608 in Tema.

Cebu $1,896
Tema $1,608

Living in Cebu is roughly 27% more expensive than in Tema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Tema 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$7.03 GHS 82.6

-56.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$27.88 GHS 328

-15.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$5.05 GHS 59.3

-50.10%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.90 GHS 10.57

71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.30 GHS 3.55

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$3.29 GHS 38.67

-45.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.61 GHS 30.66

-13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$3.16 GHS 37.18

-38.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.60 GHS 18.84

-10.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.07 GHS 24.34

-50.72%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.30 GHS 27.06

-10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$4.38 GHS 51.4

123.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$3.17 GHS 37.21

45.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$3.38 GHS 39.73

127.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.61 GHS 30.71

26.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.13 GHS 25.06

-31.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.21 GHS 26.01

6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$3.49 GHS 41.02

-55.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.40 GHS 39.98

-30.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.82 GHS 33.12

-29.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.45 GHS 5.25

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.67 GHS 7.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$1.26 GHS 14.86

138.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$8.54 GHS 100

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.10 GHS 24.63

-37.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.96 GHS 34.79

-41.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$1.68 GHS 19.73

-85.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$41.17 GHS 484

-69.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$2.10 GHS 24.73

-64.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.41 GHS 4.83

-48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.19 GHS 13.98

11.76%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,563

$78.2 GHS 919

54.23%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$15.22 GHS 179

-5.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$82.5 GHS 970

-65.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$24.06 GHS 283

35.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$8.80 GHS 103

-37.95%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$174 GHS 2,050

56.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$2,544 GHS 29.9K

220.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$13.07 GHS 154

279.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$15.40 GHS 181

61.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$42.37 GHS 498

80.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$32.20 GHS 378

84.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$126 GHS 1,485

300.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$71.3 GHS 838

334.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$426 GHS 5,008

146.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$209 GHS 2,456

196.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$9,909 GHS 116.4K

-70.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$5,903 GHS 69.4K

-68.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$419 GHS 4,921

-18.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-79.43%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tema: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Tema

$71 9.6% 77% $238

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Tema

$216 28.9% 2.5% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Tema

$176 23.6% 7.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Tema

$46 6.2% 51% $48

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Tema

$143 * 19.2% 62.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Tema

$42 5.6% 4.5% $2

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Tema

$52 7% 237% $37

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 $506 in Cebu and $126 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tema pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $216 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇬🇭 Tema

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

8 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

160,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 GHS = 8.51 USD

100 GHS = 7.59 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.75 GHS (100 GHS = 8.51 USD). 1 EUR = 13.18 GHS (100 GHS = 7.59 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Tema 13,560 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Tema

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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tema is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Tema. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $126 in Tema. 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 $738 in Tema – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tema runs roughly 225% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Tema gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Tema 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 Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.