Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Thiruvananthapuram

For one person, living is cheaper in Thiruvananthapuram: $381 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Thiruvananthapuram
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Thiruvananthapuram Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Thiruvananthapuram

🇮🇳 India

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Thiruvananthapuram

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $381 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Cebu $934
Thiruvananthapuram $381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $610 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Cebu $1,415
Thiruvananthapuram $610

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $839 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Cebu $1,896
Thiruvananthapuram $839

Living in Cebu is roughly 145% more expensive than in Thiruvananthapuram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Thiruvananthapuram 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$2.60 ₹252

16.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$10.25 ₹992

129.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$3.51 ₹340

16.52%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.83 ₹177

37.70%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.39 ₹37.56

294.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.17 ₹16.01

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.14 ₹207

-16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.66 ₹258

-15.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.53 ₹50.9

267.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.50 ₹48.26

186.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$0.57 ₹55.6

78.95%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$0.84 ₹81.0

145.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$5.34 ₹517

83.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$2.81 ₹272

64.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.20 ₹212

50.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.75 ₹72.8

93.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.15 ₹112

105.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.48 ₹46.08

220.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.48 ₹46.43

391.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.45 ₹43.33

342.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.52 ₹49.92

121.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.30 ₹29.36

123.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.36 ₹422

-31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$5.10 ₹494

24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.76 ₹170

-25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$3.07 ₹297

-43.65%

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

$4.98 ₹482

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.22 ₹21.30

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$2.90 ₹280

336.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$1.67 ₹161

-55.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.27 ₹26.29

-22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$2.64 ₹255

64.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.14 ₹110

16.67%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$13.6K ₹1.3M

60.00%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$29.5K ₹2.9M

-34.32%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$34.11 ₹3,301

253.50%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$3.44 ₹333

320.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$7.66 ₹741

269.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$14.25 ₹1,379

129.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$7.71 ₹746

-17.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$2.05 ₹198

166.34%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$37.67 ₹3,646

625.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$2,035 ₹196.9K

300.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$21.13 ₹2,045

134.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$17.65 ₹1,709

40.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$36.88 ₹3,569

107.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$26.93 ₹2,606

120.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$175 ₹17.0K

188.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$98.9 ₹9,576

212.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$361 ₹34.9K

191.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$209 ₹20.3K

195.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$843 ₹81.6K

245.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$449 ₹43.4K

315.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$244 ₹23.7K

39.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.31

-30.16%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Thiruvananthapuram: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Thiruvananthapuram

$99 25.5% 68% $210

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Thiruvananthapuram

$102 26.1% 51.7% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Thiruvananthapuram

$45 11.6% 72.3% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Thiruvananthapuram

$46 11.9% 51.2% $48

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Thiruvananthapuram

$72 18.4% 19.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Thiruvananthapuram

$18 4.7% 57.9% $25

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Thiruvananthapuram

$6.8 1.8% 56% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $175 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 40% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $10.00 in Thiruvananthapuram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $102 per month, with Thiruvananthapuram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

744,983

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Thiruvananthapuram 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Thiruvananthapuram

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 Thiruvananthapuram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thiruvananthapuram is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 145% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $175 in Thiruvananthapuram. 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 $381 in Thiruvananthapuram – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Thiruvananthapuram runs roughly 336% 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 Thiruvananthapuram gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 145% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.