For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,764 in Faro, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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 Faro and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,764 in Faro versus $918 in Cebu.
Faro $1,764
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,627 in Faro versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Faro $2,627
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,489 in Faro versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Faro $3,489
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Faro is roughly 92% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Faro is 31% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.34€11.87
$3.09₱194
331.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.34€39.44
$24.22₱1,525
83.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.22€9.98
$3.92₱247
186.22%
Cappuccino
$1.81€1.61
$2.51₱158
-27.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30€2.05
$1.59₱100
44.65%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71€1.52
$0.53₱33.43
222.64%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.74€2.44
$1.78₱112
53.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56€2.28
$2.17₱137
17.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.06€0.94
$1.92₱121
-44.79%
White Bread(500g)
$1.44€1.28
$1.36₱85.4
5.88%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.72€1.53
$1.01₱63.5
70.30%
Eggs
$3.43€3.05
$2.03₱128
68.97%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.98€12.44
$9.86₱621
41.78%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.02€5.35
$4.39₱277
37.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.27€10.03
$7.60₱479
48.29%
Apples(1kg)
$2.60€2.31
$3.30₱208
-21.21%
Banana(1kg)
$1.30€1.16
$1.39₱87.8
-6.47%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.56€1.39
$2.33₱147
-33.05%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.63€2.34
$1.50₱94.3
75.33%
Potato(1kg)
$3.16€2.81
$2.36₱149
33.90%
Onion(1kg)
$2.08€1.85
$1.90₱119
9.47%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.34€1.20
$1.19₱74.9
12.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14€1.02
$0.63₱39.71
80.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.51€5.79
$3.00₱189
117.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.96€4.41
$6.03₱379
-17.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95€0.85
$1.23₱77.7
-22.76%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39€3.01
$1.75₱110
93.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Faro
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.25€2.89
$0.25₱15.86
1200.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.55€36.96
$12.64₱796
228.72%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.58€3.19
$0.77₱48.62
364.94%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.15€1.02
$0.23₱14.53
400.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.33€18.97
$4.46₱281
378.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.81
$1.31₱82.8
54.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K€30.1K
$21.2K₱1.3M
59.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K€33.7K
$19.1K₱1.2M
98.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$109€97.0
$120₱7,569
-9.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.47€17.32
$14.00₱882
39.07%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.73€30.89
$27.54₱1,734
26.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.21€38.44
$32.33₱2,035
33.65%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.55€19.17
$6.65₱419
224.06%
Cinema Ticket
$10.94€9.73
$5.65₱356
93.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$456€405
$275₱17.3K
65.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.1K€9,829
$7,918₱498.5K
39.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.5€61.9
$49.33₱3,106
40.97%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.44€38.64
$25.24₱1,589
72.11%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$104€92.2
$77.0₱4,846
34.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103€91.3
$57.2₱3,601
79.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Faro
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,028€914
$500₱31.5K
105.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$885€787
$309₱19.4K
186.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,708€1,520
$1,078₱67.9K
58.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,505€1,339
$615₱38.7K
144.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,622€4,111
$2,886₱181.7K
60.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,560€3,166
$1,917₱120.7K
85.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Faro
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,342€1,193
$346₱21.8K
287.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.57
7.2
-50.42%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Faro: 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
Faro
$885 50.2%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 65.1%$576
🛒Groceries & Markets
Faro
$246 13.9%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 16.3%$40
🍽Eating Out
Faro
$197 11.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 55.2%$109
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Faro
$163 9.3%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 0.9%$1.5
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Faro
$144 8.2%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 34.6%$50
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Faro
$65 3.7%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 33%$21
🚌Getting Around
Faro
$64 3.6%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 75.6%$48
🏠Accommodation & Living
Faro
$1.5K 43.1%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 59.1%$890
🛒Groceries & Markets
Faro
$579 16.6%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 16.6%$96
🍽Eating Out
Faro
$618 17.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 52.7%$325
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Faro
$183 5.2%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 3.8%$6.9
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Faro
$319 9.2%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 34.6%$111
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Faro
$152 4.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 38.1%$58
🚌Getting Around
Faro
$134 3.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 76.4%$103
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Faro and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Faro pays 288% 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: $44.00 in Faro vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 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
Faro vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Faro?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Faro or Cebu?
Average pay runs 288% higher in Faro, 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 Faro and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Faro 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 Faro and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Faro versus $918 in Cebu – a 92% 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 229% less than in Faro. 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 Faro or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,764 in Faro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Faro. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Faro or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Faro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Faro or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Faro 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 92% less than in Faro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.