For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,646 in Cesena, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cesena and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Cesena versus $918 in Cebu.
Cesena $1,646
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Cesena versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Cesena $2,537
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,428 in Cesena versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Cesena $3,428
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Cesena is roughly 79% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cesena is 22% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83€14.97
$3.09₱194
444.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.5€79.6
$24.22₱1,525
269.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.22€10.87
$3.92₱247
211.73%
Cappuccino
$2.21€1.96
$2.51₱158
-11.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72€2.42
$1.59₱100
71.07%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09€0.97
$0.53₱33.43
105.66%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.04€5.37
$1.78₱112
239.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.10€4.53
$2.17₱137
135.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.35€1.20
$1.92₱121
-29.69%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36€1.21
$1.36₱85.4
-
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.97€1.75
$1.01₱63.5
95.05%
Eggs
$2.77€2.47
$2.03₱128
36.45%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.63€15.68
$9.86₱621
78.80%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.91€10.60
$4.39₱277
171.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.03€15.15
$7.60₱479
124.08%
Apples(1kg)
$1.93€1.72
$3.30₱208
-41.52%
Banana(1kg)
$2.47€2.20
$1.39₱87.8
77.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39€2.12
$2.33₱147
2.58%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.99€3.55
$1.50₱94.3
166.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.60€1.43
$2.36₱149
-32.20%
Onion(1kg)
$1.65€1.47
$1.90₱119
-13.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.87€1.67
$1.19₱74.9
57.14%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.34€0.30
$0.63₱39.71
-46.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.52€5.80
$3.00₱189
117.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.79€6.04
$6.03₱379
12.60%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22€1.09
$1.23₱77.7
-0.81%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72€1.53
$1.75₱110
-1.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.17€1.93
$0.25₱15.86
768.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$38.55€34.29
$12.64₱796
204.98%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$8.20€7.30
$0.77₱48.62
964.94%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.98€1.76
$0.23₱14.53
760.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.88€30.13
$4.46₱281
659.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.81
$1.31₱82.8
54.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K€32.5K
$21.2K₱1.3M
71.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9K€31.0K
$19.1K₱1.2M
82.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$189€168
$120₱7,569
57.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.75€8.67
$14.00₱882
-30.36%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74€27.34
$27.54₱1,734
11.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$50.8€45.16
$32.33₱2,035
57.04%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.22€12.65
$6.65₱419
113.83%
Cinema Ticket
$9.99€8.89
$5.65₱356
76.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$537€478
$275₱17.3K
95.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,900€8,806
$7,918₱498.5K
25.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7€80.7
$49.33₱3,106
83.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.93€32.85
$25.24₱1,589
46.32%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$82.4€73.3
$77.0₱4,846
7.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.7€70.0
$57.2₱3,601
37.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$660€587
$500₱31.5K
32.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$591€525
$309₱19.4K
91.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,174€1,045
$1,078₱67.9K
8.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$925€823
$615₱38.7K
50.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,953€2,627
$2,886₱181.7K
2.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,583€2,298
$1,917₱120.7K
34.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cesena
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,750€1,557
$346₱21.8K
405.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.3
7.2
-54.17%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cesena: October 10, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cesena
$591 35.9%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 47.7%$282
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cesena
$306 18.6%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 32.8%$101
🍽Eating Out
Cesena
$253 15.4%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 65.2%$165
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cesena
$229 13.9%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 29.5%$68
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cesena
$130 7.9%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 27.7%$36
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cesena
$71 4.3%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 38.4%$27
🚌Getting Around
Cesena
$65 4%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 76.2%$50
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cesena
$925 27%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 33.5%$310
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cesena
$728 21.2%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 33.7%$245
🍽Eating Out
Cesena
$956 27.9%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 69.5%$664
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cesena
$239 7%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 26.5%$63
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cesena
$289 8.4%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 27.7%$80
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cesena
$156 4.5%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 39.7%$62
🚌Getting Around
Cesena
$135 3.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 76.6%$103
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Cesena and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cesena pays 406% 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: $89.0 in Cesena vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Cesena vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Cesena?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cesena or Cebu?
Average pay runs 406% higher in Cesena, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cesena and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $660 in Cesena versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cesena and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,646 per month in Cesena versus $918 in Cebu – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 205% less than in Cesena. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cesena or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,646 in Cesena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Cesena. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cesena or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cesena, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cesena or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Cesena and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Cesena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.