Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Thika

For one person, living is cheaper in Thika: $518 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Thika
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Thika Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Thika

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Thika

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $518 in Thika.

Cebu $915
Thika $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $883 in Thika.

Cebu $1,418
Thika $883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,249 in Thika.

Cebu $1,921
Thika $1,249

Living in Cebu is roughly 77% more expensive than in Thika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Thika 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$3.52 KES 457

-13.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$34.21 KES 4,435

-29.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$6.43 KES 834

-37.95%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.95 KES 253

28.21%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.33 KES 42.15

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.61 KES 78.8

-18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.87 KES 243

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.06 KES 267

5.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$0.73 KES 95.1

173.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.44 KES 56.8

211.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.16 KES 150

-11.21%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.35 KES 175

50.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$10.81 KES 1,402

-5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$6.58 KES 853

-32.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$4.12 KES 534

86.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.57 KES 204

110.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.64 KES 82.5

128.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$0.80 KES 104

190.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.10 KES 143

35.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.41 KES 52.9

470.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.44 KES 56.8

340.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.69 KES 89.5

68.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.37 KES 48.31

83.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.71 KES 352

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$5.71 KES 740

9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.78 KES 230

-30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.90 KES 246

-8.95%

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

$1.56 KES 202

-49.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.96 KES 125

-77.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$2.82 KES 366

60.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.41 KES 183

-6.38%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.7K KES 2.8M

-3.03%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

-2.95%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$34.37 KES 4,456

244.92%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$14.94 KES 1,936

-4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$35.20 KES 4,564

-21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$46.96 KES 6,088

-31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$7.63 KES 990

-29.23%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$53.7 KES 6,956

414.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$3,537 KES 458.6K

122.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$27.81 KES 3,605

77.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$29.36 KES 3,806

-16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$69.9 KES 9,061

9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$19.37 KES 2,512

203.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$98.7 KES 12.8K

410.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$57.5 KES 7,450

429.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$273 KES 35.3K

294.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$178 KES 23.0K

256.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$610 KES 79.1K

370.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

14.71

-51.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Thika: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Thika

$57 11.1% 81.1% $247

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Thika

$153 29.6% 26.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Thika

$85 16.3% 47.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Thika

$66 12.7% 30.1% $28

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Thika

$88 17% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Thika

$62 12% 44.4% $19

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Thika

$6.4 * 1.2% 58% $8.8

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 $98.7 in Thika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $34.00 in Thika. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $153, with Thika cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇪 Thika

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

00:23 12:23 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

83,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, 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).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Thika 9,680 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Thika

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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thika is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $777 in Thika 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $98.7 in Thika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $518 in Thika – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Thika 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 Thika 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 Thika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.