Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dumaguete and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $791 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$791

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dumaguete 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 Dumaguete and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in Dumaguete versus $918 in Cebu.

Dumaguete $791
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,202 in Dumaguete versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Dumaguete $1,202
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,612 in Dumaguete versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Dumaguete $1,612
Cebu $1,900

Living in Dumaguete costs roughly 14% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dumaguete 41% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ₱242

$3.09 ₱194

24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,020

$24.22 ₱1,525

-33.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.17 ₱262

$3.92 ₱247

6.38%

Cappuccino

$2.27 ₱143

$2.51 ₱158

-9.56%

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

$0.72 ₱45.42

$1.59 ₱100

-54.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱27.45

$0.53 ₱33.43

-16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₱84.2

$1.78 ₱112

-24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.17 ₱137

-14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.92 ₱121

-16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ₱83.9

$1.36 ₱85.4

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$1.01 ₱63.5

-5.94%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.03 ₱128

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 ₱528

$9.86 ₱621

-14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 ₱277

$4.39 ₱277

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱441

$7.60 ₱479

-7.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$3.30 ₱208

-50.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₱82.0

$1.39 ₱87.8

-6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$2.33 ₱147

50.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.50 ₱94.3

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$2.36 ₱149

2.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₱98.8

$1.90 ₱119

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 ₱49.58

$1.19 ₱74.9

-33.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.27

$0.63 ₱39.71

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.00 ₱189

-22.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 ₱557

$6.03 ₱379

46.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱75.7

$1.23 ₱77.7

-2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱79.1

$1.75 ₱110

-28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₱25.84

$0.25 ₱15.86

64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 ₱635

$12.64 ₱796

-20.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.64

$0.77 ₱48.62

-10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₱10.41

$0.23 ₱14.53

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱138

$4.46 ₱281

-50.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.7

$1.31 ₱82.8

-19.08%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-1.68%

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

$24.1K ₱1.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

26.05%

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

$67.1 ₱4,227

$120 ₱7,569

-44.16%

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

$10.05 ₱632

$14.00 ₱882

-28.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.78 ₱1,623

$27.54 ₱1,734

-6.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 ₱1,496

$32.33 ₱2,035

-26.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.06 ₱256

$6.65 ₱419

-38.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 ₱455

$5.65 ₱356

27.96%

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

$57.8 ₱3,639

$275 ₱17.3K

-79.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,698 ₱106.9K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-78.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 ₱5,945

$49.33 ₱3,106

91.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 ₱2,022

$25.24 ₱1,589

27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 ₱6,429

$77.0 ₱4,846

32.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₱7,053

$57.2 ₱3,601

95.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$500 ₱31.5K

-52.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₱13.0K

$309 ₱19.4K

-32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-60.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$615 ₱38.7K

-41.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,082 ₱194.0K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

6.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$693 ₱43.7K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-63.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 ₱17.4K

$346 ₱21.8K

-20.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-2.78%

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

Last update for Dumaguete: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dumaguete

$207 26.2%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 49.2% $102

Groceries & Markets

Dumaguete

$191 24.1%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 7.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Dumaguete

$153 19.4%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 38.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dumaguete

$103 13%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 57.1% $59

Eating Out

Dumaguete

$86 10.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 3.1% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dumaguete

$38 4.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 14.1% $5.4

Getting Around

Dumaguete

$13 1.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 17.5% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Dumaguete and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 25% 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: $16.00 in Dumaguete vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $206 per month, with Dumaguete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

Same time as Dumaguete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,103

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dumaguete Cebu 130 km

From you

Dumaguete
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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

Dumaguete vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumaguete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Cebu. 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: $238 in Dumaguete versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $791 per month in Dumaguete versus $918 in Cebu – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 25% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Dumaguete gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Dumaguete 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, Dumaguete 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.

Expats usually find Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.