Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Vigan

For one person, living is cheaper in Vigan: $718 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Vigan
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Vigan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Vigan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Vigan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $718 in Vigan.

Cebu $918
Vigan $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,125 in Vigan.

Cebu $1,409
Vigan $1,125

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,533 in Vigan.

Cebu $1,900
Vigan $1,533

Living in Cebu is roughly 28% more expensive than in Vigan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Vigan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.89 ₱245

-20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$16.49 ₱1,038

46.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$1.77 ₱112

121.47%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.84 ₱116

36.41%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.55 ₱34.93

189.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.33 ₱20.81

60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.98 ₱62.0

81.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.55 ₱97.8

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.67 ₱105

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.13 ₱71.0

20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.95 ₱60.0

6.32%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.01 ₱126

1.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.13 ₱323

92.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.44 ₱216

27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.91 ₱498

-3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.30 ₱145

43.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.54 ₱96.9

-9.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.35 ₱148

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.03 ₱64.8

45.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.74 ₱109

35.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.72 ₱108

10.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.61 ₱38.63

95.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.53 ₱33.07

18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.93 ₱184

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.74 ₱550

-31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.98 ₱61.5

25.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.06 ₱129

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.24 ₱15.21

4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$10.80 ₱680

17.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.82 ₱51.5

-6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.23 ₱14.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$1.92 ₱121

132.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.27 ₱79.7

3.15%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.5K ₱1.4M

-1.22%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.6K ₱1.2M

-2.43%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$139 ₱8,723

-13.23%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.81 ₱1,121

-21.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$23.55 ₱1,483

16.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$33.22 ₱2,091

-2.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$5.06 ₱319

31.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.10 ₱321

10.78%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$131 ₱8,268

109.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$10.6K ₱668.5K

-25.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$28.39 ₱1,787

73.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$19.84 ₱1,249

27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$72.3 ₱4,555

6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$56.0 ₱3,526

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$228 ₱14.4K

118.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$156 ₱9,812

98.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$525 ₱33.0K

105.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$405 ₱25.5K

51.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,466 ₱155.2K

17.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,003 ₱63.1K

91.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vigan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Vigan

$156 21.7% 49.5% $153

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Vigan

$175 24.4% 14.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Vigan

$180 25.1% 11.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Vigan

$79 11.1% 15.4% $14

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Vigan

$70 9.8% 20.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Vigan

$43 6.1% 0.5% $0.2

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Vigan

$14 1.9% 11.8% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $228 in Vigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $16.00 in Vigan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $175 per month, with Vigan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Vigan

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

53,879

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Vigan 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Vigan

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 Vigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vigan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,077 in Vigan 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: $500 in Cebu versus $228 in Vigan. 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 $718 in Vigan – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Vigan runs roughly 17% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Vigan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Vigan 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 Vigan 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 Vigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.