Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elmira, NY and Lapu-Lapu

For one person, living is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu: $845 a month against $1,930 in Elmira, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Elmira, NY
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Elmira, NY Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Lapu-Lapu
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Lapu-Lapu Living Index

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Elmira, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,930

/mo nomad

Lapu-Lapu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elmira, NY and in Lapu-Lapu

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

A single person spends $1,930 per month in Elmira, NY vs $845 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Elmira, NY $1,930
Lapu-Lapu $845

A couple spends around $2,736 per month in Elmira, NY vs $1,195 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Elmira, NY $2,736
Lapu-Lapu $1,195

A family of three spends $3,542 per month in Elmira, NY vs $1,545 in Lapu-Lapu, rent included.

Elmira, NY $3,542
Lapu-Lapu $1,545

Elmira, NY costs about 128% more than Lapu-Lapu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Elmira, NY sits 43% above the global median, while Lapu-Lapu is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 $8.75

$2.95 ₱186

196.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 $95.1

$15.86 ₱998

499.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$3.90 ₱246

213.08%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$2.54 ₱160

98.82%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$0.58 ₱36.53

301.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.38 ₱23.93

286.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.29 ₱80.9

202.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.25 ₱142

119.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.76 ₱111

-53.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.42 ₱89.2

73.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$0.94 ₱59.5

504.26%

Eggs

$2.77 $2.77

$2.04 ₱129

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$5.68 ₱358

126.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$4.45 ₱280

115.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$7.71 ₱486

74.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.36 ₱211

47.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.45 ₱91.5

-24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.37 ₱149

94.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.54 ₱97.1

227.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.39 ₱151

12.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.98 ₱125

50.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.19 ₱75.2

101.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.68 ₱42.80

257.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 $12.96

$1.62 ₱102

700.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.82 $17.82

$4.07 ₱256

337.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.05 ₱65.9

92.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.51 ₱95.2

162.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.81

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 $5.37

$0.74 ₱46.77

625.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.23 ₱14.51

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.27 $44.27

$3.90 ₱246

1035.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.33 ₱83.4

-16.54%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

65.27%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

26.30%

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

$147 $147

$120 ₱7,559

22.65%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$13.99 ₱881

280.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$28.04 ₱1,765

140.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.51 $24.51

$12.62 ₱795

94.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 $10.07

$5.60 ₱353

79.82%

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

$1,528 $1,528

$103 ₱6,509

1377.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$7,848 ₱494.1K

312.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.13 $33.13

$47.78 ₱3,008

-30.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.69 $45.69

$25.45 ₱1,603

79.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 $78.2

$23.86 ₱1,502

227.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$58.5 ₱3,683

94.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$437 ₱27.5K

169.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 $893

$317 ₱19.9K

181.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 $1,485

$1,214 ₱76.4K

22.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 $1,098

$473 ₱29.8K

132.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,112 $1,112

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 $1,090

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,355 $8,355

$229 ₱14.4K

3551.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

7.2

-9.44%

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

Last update for Elmira, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elmira, NY

$893 46.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$317 37.5% 64.5% $576

Groceries & Markets

Elmira, NY

$375 19.4%

Lapu-Lapu

$189 22.4% 49.5% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elmira, NY

$268 13.9%

Lapu-Lapu

$162 19.2% 39.5% $106

Eating Out

Elmira, NY

$212 11%

Lapu-Lapu

$81 9.5% 62% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Elmira, NY

$122 6.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$70 8.3% 42.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Elmira, NY

$45 2.3%

Lapu-Lapu

$24 2.8% 46.7% $21

Getting Around

Elmira, NY

$17 * 0.9%

Lapu-Lapu

$2.9 * 0.3% 82.8% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Elmira, NY versus $437 in Lapu-Lapu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3551% higher in Elmira, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Elmira, NY versus $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $189 – making Lapu-Lapu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elmira, NY

🇵🇭 Lapu-Lapu

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

03:54 3:54 AM

12 h ahead of Elmira, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,523

497,604

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elmira, NY Lapu-Lapu 13,820 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Elmira, NY
Lapu-Lapu

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

Elmira, NY vs Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,930 in Elmira, NY, $845 in Lapu-Lapu – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,896 per month in Elmira, NY and $1,268 in Lapu-Lapu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lapu-Lapu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Elmira, NY and $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% more in Elmira, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lapu-Lapu, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Elmira, NY at $1,930. In Lapu-Lapu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elmira, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lapu-Lapu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lapu-Lapu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elmira, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.