For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,396 in Exeter, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities 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 Exeter and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,396 in Exeter versus $918 in Cebu.
Exeter $2,396
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,801 in Exeter versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Exeter $3,801
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,206 in Exeter versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Exeter $5,206
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Exeter is roughly 161% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Exeter is 78% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.02£15.02
$3.09₱194
547.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.9£74.2
$24.22₱1,525
308.51%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.12£6.84
$3.92₱247
132.65%
Cappuccino
$4.73£3.55
$2.51₱158
88.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12£2.34
$1.59₱100
96.23%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40£1.80
$0.53₱33.43
352.83%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.13£5.35
$1.78₱112
300.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.20£4.65
$2.17₱137
185.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.50£1.13
$1.92₱121
-21.87%
White Bread(500g)
$1.60£1.20
$1.36₱85.4
17.65%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.78£1.33
$1.01₱63.5
76.24%
Eggs
$4.31£3.23
$2.03₱128
112.32%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.95£6.72
$9.86₱621
-9.23%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.41£6.31
$4.39₱277
91.57%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$22.94£17.21
$7.60₱479
201.84%
Apples(1kg)
$3.01£2.26
$3.30₱208
-8.79%
Banana(1kg)
$1.42£1.07
$1.39₱87.8
2.16%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.29£1.72
$2.33₱147
-1.72%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.06£2.30
$1.50₱94.3
104.00%
Potato(1kg)
$2.27£1.70
$2.36₱149
-3.81%
Onion(1kg)
$2.02£1.52
$1.90₱119
6.32%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.50£1.12
$1.19₱74.9
26.05%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89£1.42
$0.63₱39.71
200.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.33£17.51
$3.00₱189
677.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.21£6.91
$6.03₱379
52.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.52£2.64
$1.23₱77.7
186.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41£3.31
$1.75₱110
152.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.00£3.00
$0.25₱15.86
1500.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$104£78.2
$12.64₱796
724.45%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.96£4.47
$0.77₱48.62
674.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.43£1.83
$0.23₱14.53
956.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.16£18.12
$4.46₱281
441.70%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.94£1.46
$1.31₱82.8
48.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K£29.1K
$21.2K₱1.3M
82.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K£30.2K
$19.1K₱1.2M
110.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$469£352
$120₱7,569
290.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.80£11.85
$14.00₱882
12.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.56£34.93
$27.54₱1,734
69.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.93£32.96
$32.33₱2,035
35.88%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.13£9.85
$6.65₱419
97.44%
Cinema Ticket
$12.73£9.55
$5.65₱356
125.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,413£1,060
$275₱17.3K
413.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.5K£13.1K
$7,918₱498.5K
121.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.1£50.3
$49.33₱3,106
35.96%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.64£23.74
$25.24₱1,589
25.36%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102£76.6
$77.0₱4,846
32.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.1£56.3
$57.2₱3,601
31.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,137£853
$500₱31.5K
127.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$893£670
$309₱19.4K
189.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,384£1,788
$1,078₱67.9K
121.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,063£1,547
$615₱38.7K
235.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,317£3,989
$2,886₱181.7K
84.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,618£4,965
$1,917₱120.7K
245.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Exeter
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,096£2,323
$346₱21.8K
794.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.11
7.2
-29.03%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Exeter: October 10, 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
Exeter
$893 37.3%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 65.4%$584
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Exeter
$532 22.2%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 69.6%$370
🛒Groceries & Markets
Exeter
$326 13.6%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 36.8%$120
🍽Eating Out
Exeter
$314 13.1%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 71.9%$226
🚌Getting Around
Exeter
$138 5.8%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 88.7%$123
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Exeter
$124 5.2%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 24.3%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Exeter
$69 2.9%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 37.1%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Exeter
$2.1K 39.6%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 70.2%$1.4K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Exeter
$548 10.5%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 67.9%$372
🛒Groceries & Markets
Exeter
$754 14.5%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 36%$271
🍽Eating Out
Exeter
$1.1K 21.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 74.1%$837
🚌Getting Around
Exeter
$285 5.5%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 88.9%$253
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Exeter
$276 5.3%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 24.3%$67
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Exeter
$152 2.9%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 38.2%$58
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,137 in Exeter and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Exeter pays 795% 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: $99.0 in Exeter vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 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
Exeter vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Exeter?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Exeter or Cebu?
Average pay runs 795% higher in Exeter, 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 Exeter and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,137 in Exeter 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 Exeter and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,396 per month in Exeter versus $918 in Cebu – a 161% 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 724% less than in Exeter. 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 Exeter or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,396 in Exeter, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Exeter. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Exeter or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Exeter, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Exeter or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Exeter 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 161% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.