Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,276 in Wakayama, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Wakayama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,276 in Wakayama.

Cebu $915
Wakayama $1,276

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $2,031 in Wakayama.

Cebu $1,418
Wakayama $2,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $2,785 in Wakayama.

Cebu $1,921
Wakayama $2,785

Living in Cebu costs roughly 28% less than in Wakayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Wakayama 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$6.47 ¥1,022

-52.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$31.22 ¥4,932

-23.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$4.89 ¥773

-18.40%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.46 ¥389

1.63%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.25 ¥197

23.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.86 ¥136

-41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.20 ¥506

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.85 ¥293

17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.57 ¥248

27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.53 ¥242

-10.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$4.27 ¥675

-75.88%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.11 ¥334

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$16.04 ¥2,534

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$7.05 ¥1,114

-36.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$17.10 ¥2,701

-55.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$8.20 ¥1,296

-59.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$3.02 ¥478

-51.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$5.15 ¥814

-54.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$7.94 ¥1,255

-81.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$4.01 ¥633

-41.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$4.59 ¥726

-57.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$1.14 ¥179

1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.88 ¥139

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.99 ¥630

-25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$9.33 ¥1,475

-33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$2.49 ¥393

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.15 ¥340

-19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$1.50 ¥236

-84.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$53.8 ¥8,496

-77.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$3.07 ¥485

-74.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$2.91 ¥460

-92.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$15.69 ¥2,478

-71.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.06 ¥167

24.53%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

-4.44%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

29.01%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$117 ¥18.4K

1.55%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$23.45 ¥3,705

-39.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$31.45 ¥4,968

-12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$51.3 ¥8,109

-37.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$11.21 ¥1,771

-51.83%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$564 ¥89.1K

-51.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-47.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$49.37 ¥7,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$35.42 ¥5,596

-30.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$59.4 ¥9,385

29.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$98.7 ¥15.6K

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$526 ¥83.1K

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$337 ¥53.3K

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,093 ¥172.7K

-1.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$738 ¥116.5K

-14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$4,206 ¥664.5K

-31.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,756 ¥277.4K

6.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$3,965 ¥626.4K

-91.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

1.67

331.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Wakayama

$337 26.4% 10.8% $33

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Wakayama

$382 30% 82.4% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Wakayama

$172 13.5% 7.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Wakayama

$109 8.6% 16% $15

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Wakayama

$124 9.7% 41.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Wakayama

$74 5.8% 71.1% $31

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Wakayama

$77 6.1% 411% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $526 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 1080% 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 $31.00 in Wakayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $382 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

1 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

362,163

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Wakayama 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Wakayama

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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1080% lower in Wakayama. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $526 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $1,276 in Wakayama – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 336% less than in Wakayama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,276 in Wakayama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Wakayama. 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 Wakayama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Wakayama 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 39% less than in Wakayama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.