For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,138 in Durres, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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 Durres and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,138 in Durres versus $918 in Cebu.
Durres $1,138
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,733 in Durres versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Durres $1,733
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,329 in Durres versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Durres $2,329
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Durres is roughly 24% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Durres16% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.51ALL 846
$3.09₱194
240.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.27ALL 3,001
$24.22₱1,525
53.88%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.18ALL 820
$3.92₱247
159.69%
Cappuccino
$1.98ALL 160
$2.51₱158
-21.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04ALL 164
$1.59₱100
28.30%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05ALL 84.2
$0.53₱33.43
98.11%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.98ALL 240
$1.78₱112
67.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.23ALL 340
$2.17₱137
94.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.11ALL 170
$1.92₱121
9.90%
White Bread(500g)
$1.07ALL 86.2
$1.36₱85.4
-21.32%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.37ALL 190
$1.01₱63.5
134.65%
Eggs
$3.69ALL 297
$2.03₱128
81.77%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.79ALL 1,030
$9.86₱621
29.72%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.64ALL 615
$4.39₱277
74.03%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.57ALL 1,173
$7.60₱479
91.71%
Apples(1kg)
$1.15ALL 93.0
$3.30₱208
-65.15%
Banana(1kg)
$2.38ALL 192
$1.39₱87.8
71.22%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.54ALL 124
$2.33₱147
-33.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.31ALL 106
$1.50₱94.3
-12.67%
Potato(1kg)
$0.92ALL 74.0
$2.36₱149
-61.02%
Onion(1kg)
$0.94ALL 76.1
$1.90₱119
-50.53%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.25ALL 101
$1.19₱74.9
5.04%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70ALL 56.7
$0.63₱39.71
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24ALL 341
$3.00₱189
41.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.01ALL 887
$6.03₱379
82.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50ALL 121
$1.23₱77.7
21.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06ALL 166
$1.75₱110
17.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Durres
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.48ALL 38.53
$0.25₱15.86
92.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.19ALL 1,545
$12.64₱796
51.82%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.57ALL 287
$0.77₱48.62
363.64%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.47ALL 199
$0.23₱14.53
973.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$4.46₱281
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.18ALL 176
$1.31₱82.8
66.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.1KALL 1.3M
$21.2K₱1.3M
-24.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$19.1K₱1.2M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$93.6ALL 7,534
$120₱7,569
-22.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.62ALL 1,338
$14.00₱882
18.71%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.68ALL 1,343
$27.54₱1,734
-39.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.50ALL 3,262
$32.33₱2,035
25.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$61.3ALL 4,932
$6.65₱419
821.05%
Cinema Ticket
$7.48ALL 602
$5.65₱356
32.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$183ALL 14.7K
$275₱17.3K
-33.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,590ALL 369.6K
$7,918₱498.5K
-42.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.06ALL 3,146
$49.33₱3,106
-20.82%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.02ALL 3,303
$25.24₱1,589
62.52%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.4ALL 7,195
$77.0₱4,846
16.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159ALL 12.8K
$57.2₱3,601
178.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Durres
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$444ALL 35.8K
$500₱31.5K
-11.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$336ALL 27.0K
$309₱19.4K
8.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$690ALL 55.6K
$1,078₱67.9K
-35.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$469ALL 37.8K
$615₱38.7K
-23.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,774ALL 142.9K
$2,886₱181.7K
-38.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,154ALL 92.9K
$1,917₱120.7K
-39.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Durres
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$940ALL 75.7K
$346₱21.8K
171.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.25
7.2
-27.08%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Durres: October 12, 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
Durres
$336 29.5%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 8%$27
🛒Groceries & Markets
Durres
$261 22.9%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 21.1%$55
🍽Eating Out
Durres
$174 15.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 49.3%$86
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Durres
$148 13%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 36.5%$54
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
$127 11.2%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 27.5%$35
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Durres
$55 4.9%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 21.3%$12
🚌Getting Around
Durres
$37 3.3%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 57.9%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Durres
$469 20.2%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 31.1%$146
🛒Groceries & Markets
Durres
$607 26.1%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 20.4%$124
🍽Eating Out
Durres
$533 22.9%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 45.2%$241
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Durres
$329 14.1%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 36.5%$120
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durres
$143 6.2%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 22.5%$32
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Durres
$172 7.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 45.5%$78
🚌Getting Around
Durres
$75 3.2%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 57.8%$43
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Durres and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Durres pays 172% 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: $37.00 in Durres vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 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
Durres vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Durres?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Durres or Cebu?
Average pay runs 172% higher in Durres, 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 Durres and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $444 in Durres 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 Durres and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,138 per month in Durres versus $918 in Cebu – a 24% 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 52% less than in Durres. 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 Durres or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,138 in Durres, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Durres. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Durres or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Durres, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Durres or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Durres 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 24% less than in Durres. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.