Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Tembisa

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,106 in Tembisa, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Tembisa
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Tembisa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Tembisa

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Tembisa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,106 in Tembisa.

Cebu $915
Tembisa $1,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,692 in Tembisa.

Cebu $1,418
Tembisa $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $2,279 in Tembisa.

Cebu $1,921
Tembisa $2,279

Living in Cebu costs roughly 17% less than in Tembisa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Tembisa 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$9.55 R 157

-68.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$40.71 R 671

-41.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$5.67 R 93.5

-29.63%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.24 R 36.98

11.61%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.05 R 17.34

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.87 R 14.40

-42.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.42 R 39.79

-26.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.78 R 45.74

-21.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.21 R 19.90

65.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.13 R 18.68

21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.75 R 28.88

-41.14%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.54 R 41.85

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$8.67 R 143

17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$5.08 R 83.7

-12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.38 R 122

3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.79 R 29.57

84.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.68 R 27.65

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.81 R 29.74

28.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.67 R 27.52

-10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.53 R 25.22

52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.40 R 23.09

38.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.24 R 20.48

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$1.05 R 17.35

-35.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.61 R 59.5

-17.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$5.31 R 87.5

17.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.43 R 23.50

-13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.80 R 29.68

-3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$1.36 R 22.38

-83.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.68 R 11.20

16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.98 R 16.21

-77.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$11.10 R 183

-59.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.54 R 25.38

-14.29%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$32.4K R 534.0K

-35.19%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$31.7K R 521.5K

-38.71%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$148 R 2,438

-19.88%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$31.88 R 525

-55.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$38.41 R 633

-28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$32.17 R 530

0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$9.83 R 162

-33.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$6.34 R 105

-14.83%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$246 R 4,057

12.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$6,091 R 100.3K

29.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$60.3 R 993

-18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$37.09 R 611

-33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$101 R 1,665

-24.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$82.4 R 1,358

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$406 R 6,686

24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$365 R 6,008

-16.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$688 R 11.3K

56.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$673 R 11.1K

-6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$942 R 15.5K

204.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$694 R 11.4K

170.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$574 R 9,454

-41.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.94

-34.19%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Tembisa

$365 33% 19.7% $60

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Tembisa

$195 17.6% 6.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Tembisa

$218 19.7% 36.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Tembisa

$126 11.4% 34.1% $32

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Tembisa

$146 13.2% 66.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Tembisa

$45 4.1% 4.1% $1.8

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Tembisa

$11 * 1% 27.2% $4.1

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 $406 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tembisa pays 71% 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 $41.00 in Tembisa. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $195, with Tembisa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇦 Tembisa

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

23:43 11:43 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

463,109

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Tembisa 11,070 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Tembisa

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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Tembisa. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $406 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Tembisa pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $1,106 in Tembisa – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tembisa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Tembisa 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Tembisa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.