Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,456 in Forster, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,456

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,456 in Forster versus $918 in Cebu.

Forster $2,456
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,696 in Forster versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Forster $3,696
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,937 in Forster versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Forster $4,937
Cebu $1,900

Living in Forster is roughly 168% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forster is 82% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$3.09 ₱194

463.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 A$130

$24.22 ₱1,525

271.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.80

$3.92 ₱247

162.24%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.66

$2.51 ₱158

56.57%

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

$2.88 A$4.14

$1.59 ₱100

81.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 A$3.11

$0.53 ₱33.43

307.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 A$10.23

$1.78 ₱112

299.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.93

$2.17 ₱137

153.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.42

$1.92 ₱121

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$1.36 ₱85.4

103.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.01 ₱63.5

133.66%

Eggs

$5.41 A$7.78

$2.03 ₱128

166.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 A$17.34

$9.86 ₱621

22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.47

$4.39 ₱277

113.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 A$23.77

$7.60 ₱479

117.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.30 ₱208

18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$1.39 ₱87.8

133.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.96

$2.33 ₱147

48.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 A$6.34

$1.50 ₱94.3

193.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.57

$2.36 ₱149

34.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.35

$1.90 ₱119

22.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.19 ₱74.9

98.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$0.63 ₱39.71

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.21 A$63.6

$3.00 ₱189

1373.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 A$19.77

$6.03 ₱379

127.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 A$5.56

$1.23 ₱77.7

214.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$1.75 ₱110

123.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 A$4.14

$0.25 ₱15.86

1052.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 A$116

$12.64 ₱796

539.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.03

$0.77 ₱48.62

353.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.23 ₱14.53

578.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.50 A$58.3

$4.46 ₱281

808.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.09

$1.31 ₱82.8

10.69%

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

$28.7K A$41.2K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

34.93%

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

$30.0K A$43.1K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

56.60%

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

$222 A$319

$120 ₱7,569

84.51%

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

$27.32 A$39.31

$14.00 ₱882

95.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.3

$27.54 ₱1,734

105.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 A$82.3

$32.33 ₱2,035

76.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 A$28.69

$6.65 ₱419

199.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 A$24.67

$5.65 ₱356

203.54%

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

$2,227 A$3,205

$275 ₱17.3K

708.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K A$40.1K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

252.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$49.33 ₱3,106

62.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 A$99.1

$25.24 ₱1,589

172.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$77.0 ₱4,846

43.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$57.2 ₱3,601

134.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 A$2,206

$500 ₱31.5K

206.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 A$1,609

$309 ₱19.4K

262.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 A$3,512

$1,078 ₱67.9K

126.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 A$2,750

$615 ₱38.7K

210.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,666 A$8,154

$2,886 ₱181.7K

96.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,657 A$8,140

$1,917 ₱120.7K

195.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

7.2

-18.89%

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

Last update for Forster: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forster

$1.1K 45.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 72.4% $810

Groceries & Markets

Forster

$376 15.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 45.2% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forster

$306 12.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 47.1% $144

Eating Out

Forster

$284 11.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 68.9% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Forster

$177 7.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 47% $83

Getting Around

Forster

$104 4.2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 85% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Forster

$91 3.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 52.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Forster and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Forster vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forster

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

20:19 8:19 PM

3 h behind Forster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,554

964,169

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Forster Cebu 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Forster
Cebu

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

Forster vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,684 in Forster and $1,377 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,533 in Forster versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,456 per month in Forster versus $918 in Cebu – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 539% less than in Forster. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,456 in Forster, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Forster. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Forster, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Forster 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Forster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.