Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Uster

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $3,689 in Uster, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 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
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
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Uster Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Uster

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $3,689 in Uster.

Cebu $918
Uster $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $5,289 in Uster.

Cebu $1,409
Uster $5,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $6,889 in Uster.

Cebu $1,900
Uster $6,889

Living in Cebu costs roughly 75% less than in Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Uster is 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-89.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$120 CHF 98.7

-79.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-78.63%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-58.44%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-70.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$4.79 CHF 3.95

-88.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$8.59 CHF 7.08

-79.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.73 CHF 5.54

-67.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-13.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-59.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-76.99%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-72.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-69.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-85.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-82.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.44 CHF 2.84

-4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-33.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-17.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.58 CHF 3.78

-67.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.04 CHF 1.68

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$10.65 CHF 8.77

-71.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$12.97 CHF 10.69

-53.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-62.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-47.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-94.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$99.8 CHF 82.2

-87.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$5.46 CHF 4.50

-85.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-92.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$59.4 CHF 48.94

-92.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-40.18%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-50.91%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-51.79%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$233 CHF 192

-48.39%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$31.89 CHF 26.26

-56.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$65.4 CHF 53.8

-57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-56.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$45.51 CHF 37.49

-85.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$21.75 CHF 17.92

-74.02%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$1,802 CHF 1,484

-84.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-75.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$164 CHF 135

-70.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-70.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$143 CHF 118

-46.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$173 CHF 142

-66.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,678 CHF 1,382

-70.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$1,759 CHF 1,448

-82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$2,928 CHF 2,412

-63.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$2,382 CHF 1,962

-74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

-81.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$12.1K CHF 9,993

-84.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-94.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

1.72

318.60%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 469% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Uster

$623 16.9% 203% $417

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Uster

$330 9% 104% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Uster

$255 6.9% 172% $161

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Uster

$465 12.6% 427% $377

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Uster

$117 3.2% 169% $73

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Uster

$140 3.8% 800% $124

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $1,678 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 1880% 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 $120 in Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $623 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

33,097

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Uster 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Uster

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 302% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1880% lower in Uster. 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 $1,678 in Uster. 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 $3,689 in Uster – a 302% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 689% less than in Uster. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $3,689 in Uster, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Uster. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cebu and Uster 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 302% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.