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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,956 in Chatham, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Chatham and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,956 in Chatham versus $918 in Cebu.
Chatham $2,956
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,000 in Chatham versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Chatham $4,000
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,044 in Chatham versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Chatham $5,044
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Chatham is roughly 222% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Chatham is 119% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.44£10.08
$3.09₱194
334.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.5£70.2
$24.22₱1,525
286.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.77£7.33
$3.92₱247
149.23%
Cappuccino
$3.58£2.69
$2.51₱158
42.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95£2.22
$1.59₱100
85.53%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60£1.20
$0.53₱33.43
201.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.26£4.70
$1.78₱112
251.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63£4.97
$2.17₱137
205.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.87£1.40
$1.92₱121
-2.60%
White Bread(500g)
$2.05£1.54
$1.36₱85.4
50.74%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.13£1.60
$1.01₱63.5
110.89%
Eggs
$3.90£2.93
$2.03₱128
92.12%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.54£7.90
$9.86₱621
6.90%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.20£6.90
$4.39₱277
109.57%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.27£11.46
$7.60₱479
100.92%
Apples(1kg)
$2.93£2.20
$3.30₱208
-11.21%
Banana(1kg)
$1.95£1.46
$1.39₱87.8
40.29%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.61£1.96
$2.33₱147
12.02%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.60£2.70
$1.50₱94.3
140.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.97£1.48
$2.36₱149
-16.53%
Onion(1kg)
$1.88£1.41
$1.90₱119
-1.05%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.18£0.88
$1.19₱74.9
-0.84%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63£1.22
$0.63₱39.71
158.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$21.41£16.06
$3.00₱189
613.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.05£8.29
$6.03₱379
83.25%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.03£2.27
$1.23₱77.7
146.34%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40£1.80
$1.75₱110
37.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.02£3.02
$0.25₱15.86
1508.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$112£84.3
$12.64₱796
788.45%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.88£3.66
$0.77₱48.62
533.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.72£2.04
$0.23₱14.53
1082.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.84£14.88
$4.46₱281
344.84%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.97£1.48
$1.31₱82.8
50.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K£29.0K
$21.2K₱1.3M
81.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K£27.5K
$19.1K₱1.2M
91.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$279£209
$120₱7,569
131.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.97£12.73
$14.00₱882
21.21%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.03£19.53
$27.54₱1,734
-5.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$113£85.1
$32.33₱2,035
250.97%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.15£6.87
$6.65₱419
37.59%
Cinema Ticket
$17.64£13.24
$5.65₱356
212.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,046£1,535
$275₱17.3K
643.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$30.6K£22.9K
$7,918₱498.5K
285.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.0£67.5
$49.33₱3,106
82.36%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.39£34.06
$25.24₱1,589
79.83%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102£76.8
$77.0₱4,846
33.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.1£66.8
$57.2₱3,601
55.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,044£1,534
$500₱31.5K
309.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,632£1,224
$309₱19.4K
428.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,470£1,853
$1,078₱67.9K
129.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,092£1,569
$615₱38.7K
239.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,902£5,928
$2,886₱181.7K
173.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$7,319£5,491
$1,917₱120.7K
281.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chatham
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,938£2,204
$346₱21.8K
749.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.12
7.2
-28.89%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Chatham: October 13, 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
Chatham
$1.6K 55.2%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 81.1%$1.3K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chatham
$322 10.9%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 49.7%$160
🛒Groceries & Markets
Chatham
$318 10.7%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 35.2%$112
🍽Eating Out
Chatham
$243 8.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 63.6%$154
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Chatham
$149 5%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 70.7%$105
🚌Getting Around
Chatham
$147 5%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 89.4%$131
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Chatham
$147 5%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 36.1%$53
🏠Accommodation & Living
Chatham
$2.1K 41.5%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 70.6%$1.5K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chatham
$339 6.7%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 48.1%$163
🛒Groceries & Markets
Chatham
$730 14.5%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 33.9%$248
🍽Eating Out
Chatham
$948 18.8%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 69.2%$656
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Chatham
$307 6.1%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 69.4%$213
🚌Getting Around
Chatham
$302 6%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 89.5%$270
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Chatham
$327 6.5%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 36.1%$118
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,044 in Chatham and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Chatham pays 749% 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: $94.0 in Chatham vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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
Chatham vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Chatham?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 222% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Chatham or Cebu?
Average pay runs 749% higher in Chatham, 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 Chatham and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,044 in Chatham 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 Chatham and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,956 per month in Chatham versus $918 in Cebu – a 222% 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 788% less than in Chatham. 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 Chatham or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,956 in Chatham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Chatham. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Chatham or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chatham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Chatham or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Chatham 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 222% less than in Chatham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.