Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Tenali

For one person, living is cheaper in Tenali: $345 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Tenali
Learn more

Tenali Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Tenali

🇮🇳 India

$345

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Tenali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $345 in Tenali.

Cebu $918
Tenali $345

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $533 in Tenali.

Cebu $1,409
Tenali $533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $720 in Tenali.

Cebu $1,900
Tenali $720

Living in Cebu is roughly 166% more expensive than in Tenali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Tenali 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.13 ₹202

45.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$10.18 ₹967

137.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.16 ₹490

-24.03%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.32 ₹220

8.19%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.48 ₹45.71

231.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.11 ₹10.69

381.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.10 ₹200

-15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.10 ₹389

-47.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.72 ₹68.8

166.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.40 ₹38.36

240.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.61 ₹58.3

65.57%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$0.79 ₹74.7

156.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.15 ₹489

91.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.24 ₹212

95.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.71 ₹163

92.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.67 ₹63.7

107.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.76 ₹71.8

206.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.43 ₹41.28

248.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.38 ₹36.53

521.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.36 ₹34.18

427.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.49 ₹46.39

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.27 ₹25.89

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.12 ₹202

41.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.17 ₹776

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.77 ₹168

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.58 ₹245

-32.17%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.17 ₹491

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.36 ₹34.02

-30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$7.55 ₹717

67.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.64 ₹61.1

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.36 ₹34.03

-36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$1.18 ₹112

277.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.12 ₹106

16.96%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$15.3K ₹1.5M

38.69%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

-13.16%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$35.43 ₹3,364

239.35%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$2.71 ₹258

416.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$6.09 ₹579

352.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$7.42 ₹704

335.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$10.53 ₹1,000

-36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$2.11 ₹201

167.77%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$15.75 ₹1,496

1648.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,830 ₹268.7K

179.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$12.81 ₹1,216

285.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$18.32 ₹1,739

37.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$29.07 ₹2,760

164.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$18.60 ₹1,767

207.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$79.1 ₹7,509

531.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$62.4 ₹5,929

394.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$167 ₹15.9K

544.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$120 ₹11.4K

411.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,010 ₹95.9K

185.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$538 ₹51.1K

256.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$362 ₹34.4K

-4.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tenali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Tenali

$62 18.1% 79.8% $246

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Tenali

$99 28.6% 52% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Tenali

$44 12.8% 72.7% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Tenali

$35 10.3% 62.2% $58

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Tenali

$81 23.6% 7.7% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Tenali

$12 3.4% 73.3% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Tenali

$11 3.3% 26.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $79.1 in Tenali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tenali pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $10.00 in Tenali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $99.0 per month, with Tenali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇳 Tenali

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

00:52 12:52 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

164,937

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Tenali 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Tenali

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 Tenali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tenali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Tenali. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $79.1 in Tenali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $345 in Tenali – a 166% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tenali runs roughly 67% 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 Tenali gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Tenali 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 Tenali 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 Tenali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.