For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,192 in Drama, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Drama and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Drama versus $918 in Cebu.
Drama $1,192
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,756 in Drama versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Drama $1,756
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,321 in Drama versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Drama $2,321
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Drama is roughly 30% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Drama12% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.56€12.95
$3.09₱194
371.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.27€38.49
$24.22₱1,525
78.65%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.92€8.82
$3.92₱247
153.06%
Cappuccino
$2.67€2.38
$2.51₱158
6.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82€2.50
$1.59₱100
77.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71€0.63
$0.53₱33.43
33.96%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.41€3.03
$1.78₱112
91.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39€3.91
$2.17₱137
102.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.48€1.31
$1.92₱121
-22.92%
White Bread(500g)
$1.60€1.43
$1.36₱85.4
17.65%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.10€0.98
$1.01₱63.5
8.91%
Eggs
$5.41€4.81
$2.03₱128
166.50%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.43€10.16
$9.86₱621
15.92%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.28€8.26
$4.39₱277
111.39%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.01€12.46
$7.60₱479
84.34%
Apples(1kg)
$1.41€1.25
$3.30₱208
-57.27%
Banana(1kg)
$1.40€1.25
$1.39₱87.8
0.72%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.11€0.99
$2.33₱147
-52.36%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.50₱94.3
46.67%
Potato(1kg)
$0.96€0.86
$2.36₱149
-59.32%
Onion(1kg)
$1.23€1.09
$1.90₱119
-35.26%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.52€1.36
$1.19₱74.9
27.73%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70€0.62
$0.63₱39.71
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.88€4.34
$3.00₱189
62.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.15€4.58
$6.03₱379
-14.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97€0.87
$1.23₱77.7
-21.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92€1.71
$1.75₱110
9.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Drama
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$0.25₱15.86
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$12.64₱796
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.30€3.82
$0.77₱48.62
458.44%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.10€0.98
$0.23₱14.53
378.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.71€14.86
$4.46₱281
274.66%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.21€1.96
$1.31₱82.8
68.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K€24.6K
$21.2K₱1.3M
30.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K€28.0K
$19.1K₱1.2M
64.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$190€169
$120₱7,569
58.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.62€20.12
$14.00₱882
61.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.30€26.95
$27.54₱1,734
10.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$45.14€40.15
$32.33₱2,035
39.62%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.62€6.77
$5.65₱356
34.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$481€428
$275₱17.3K
74.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,165€8,152
$7,918₱498.5K
15.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.7€86.1
$49.33₱3,106
96.11%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.05€19.61
$25.24₱1,589
-12.64%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$62.2€55.3
$77.0₱4,846
-19.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.7€59.4
$57.2₱3,601
16.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Drama
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$305€271
$500₱31.5K
-38.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$300€266
$309₱19.4K
-2.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$498€443
$1,078₱67.9K
-53.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$412€366
$615₱38.7K
-33.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,482€1,318
$2,886₱181.7K
-48.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,288€2,925
$1,917₱120.7K
71.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Drama
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,133€1,008
$346₱21.8K
227.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.4
7.2
-38.89%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Drama: October 11, 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
Drama
$300 25.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 3.1%$9.3
🛒Groceries & Markets
Drama
$249 20.9%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 17.4%$43
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drama
$243 20.4%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 33.5%$82
🍽Eating Out
Drama
$218 18.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 59.6%$130
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Drama
$111 9.4%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 15.7%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Drama
$60 5.1%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 27.7%$17
🚌Getting Around
Drama
$9.8 * 0.8%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↑ 58.9%$5.8
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Drama
$412 17.7%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 49.4%$203
🛒Groceries & Markets
Drama
$597 25.7%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 19.1%$114
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drama
$266 11.5%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 33.9%$90
🍽Eating Out
Drama
$658 28.4%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 55.6%$366
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Drama
$248 10.7%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 15.7%$39
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Drama
$121 * 5.2%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 22.2%$27
🚌Getting Around
Drama
$20 * 0.8%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↑ 61.4%$12
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $305 in Drama and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Drama pays 228% 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: $43.00 in Drama vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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
Drama vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Drama?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Drama or Cebu?
Average pay runs 228% higher in Drama, 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 Drama and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $305 in Drama versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Drama and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Drama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Drama and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,192 per month in Drama versus $918 in Cebu – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Drama or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,192 in Drama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Drama. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Drama or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Drama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Drama or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Drama 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 30% less than in Drama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.