Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Davao and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Davao and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Davao versus $934 in Cebu.

Davao $839
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Davao versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Davao $1,275
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Davao versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Davao $1,712
Cebu $1,913

Living in Davao costs roughly 10% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Davao 38% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 ₱299

$3.79 ₱241

24.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 ₱1,672

$23.33 ₱1,482

12.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 ₱243

$3.94 ₱250

-2.79%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.54 ₱162

-0.39%

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

$1.06 ₱67.3

$1.57 ₱99.6

-32.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.64

$0.47 ₱29.64

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱97.0

$1.77 ₱112

-13.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$2.22 ₱141

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱125

$1.90 ₱121

3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.36 ₱86.6

-21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.9

$0.94 ₱59.5

-3.19%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱117

$1.99 ₱126

-7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱407

$9.70 ₱616

-33.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱292

$4.32 ₱274

6.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ₱570

$7.51 ₱477

19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱170

$3.31 ₱210

-19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.3

$1.37 ₱87.0

-22.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱154

$2.34 ₱149

3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.49 ₱94.8

-23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ₱126

$2.30 ₱146

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₱213

$1.87 ₱119

79.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.6

$1.10 ₱69.9

12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱45.03

$0.63 ₱40.11

12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱156

$2.86 ₱181

-13.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱507

$6.08 ₱386

31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$1.27 ₱81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱100

$1.72 ₱109

-8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.22 ₱13.90

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.16 ₱836

$12.34 ₱784

6.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.4

$0.74 ₱47.24

9.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.32

$0.22 ₱14.00

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱116

$4.28 ₱272

-57.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.2

$1.31 ₱83.2

-6.87%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.75%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.01%

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

$105 ₱6,661

$118 ₱7,520

-11.41%

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

$19.14 ₱1,215

$15.76 ₱1,001

21.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 ₱1,916

$28.33 ₱1,799

6.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₱2,183

$32.94 ₱2,092

4.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 ₱218

$6.49 ₱412

-47.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱302

$5.45 ₱346

-12.84%

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

$104 ₱6,623

$276 ₱17.5K

-62.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ₱478.6K

$7,789 ₱494.7K

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 ₱3,877

$48.18 ₱3,060

26.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 ₱1,952

$24.47 ₱1,554

25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₱4,425

$75.3 ₱4,781

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ₱3,816

$58.0 ₱3,685

3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.2K

$477 ₱30.3K

-26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.6K

$322 ₱20.4K

-28.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₱45.9K

$963 ₱61.2K

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₱25.6K

$626 ₱39.7K

-35.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 ₱100.6K

$4,551 ₱289.0K

-65.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 ₱86.6K

$3,028 ₱192.3K

-54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.1K

$333 ₱21.2K

-37.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.2

15.42%

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

Last update for Davao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$229 27.3%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 40.4% $93

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$197 23.5%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 3.3% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$154 18.4%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 5.4% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$100 11.9%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 7% $7

Eating Out

Davao

$99 11.8%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 4.5% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$44 5.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 0% $0

Getting Around

Davao

$16 1.9%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Davao and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Davao vs $23 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $204, with Davao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

Same time as Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Davao Cebu 410 km

From you

Davao
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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

Davao vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Davao. 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: $350 in Davao versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $839 per month in Davao versus $934 in Cebu – Davao is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 6% less than in Davao. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Davao 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, Davao and Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Davao wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.