Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,165 in Fukushima, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Fukushima
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,165
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,165 in Fukushima versus $915 in Cebu.

  • Fukushima $1,165
  • Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,826 in Fukushima versus $1,418 in Cebu.

  • Fukushima $1,826
  • Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,487 in Fukushima versus $1,921 in Cebu.

  • Fukushima $2,487
  • Cebu $1,921

Living in Fukushima is roughly 27% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fukushima 14% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.89 ¥930
$3.05 ₱192
93.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.92 ¥4,727
$24.00 ₱1,511
24.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.45 ¥703
$3.99 ₱251
11.53%
Cappuccino
$2.55 ¥404
$2.50 ₱157
2.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ¥148
$1.54 ₱97.1
-38.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ¥106
$0.50 ₱31.37
34.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.61 ¥412
$1.78 ₱112
46.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 ¥493
$2.17 ₱136
43.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 ¥232
$2.00 ₱126
-26.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 ¥244
$1.37 ₱86.2
13.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.08 ¥645
$1.03 ₱64.9
296.12%
Eggs
$2.08 ¥328
$2.03 ₱128
2.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.38 ¥1,639
$10.20 ₱642
1.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.69 ¥1,057
$4.45 ₱280
50.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.64 ¥2,629
$7.67 ₱483
116.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.77 ¥596
$3.31 ₱208
13.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 ¥357
$1.46 ₱91.8
54.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.80 ¥443
$2.32 ₱146
20.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.07 ¥642
$1.49 ₱94.0
173.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.48 ¥391
$2.34 ₱147
5.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.57 ¥406
$1.94 ₱122
32.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ¥205
$1.16 ₱73.0
11.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥132
$0.68 ₱42.89
23.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.89 ¥615
$2.99 ₱188
30.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.82 ¥1,077
$6.24 ₱393
9.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ¥291
$1.23 ₱77.3
49.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 ¥337
$1.73 ₱109
23.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 ¥235
$0.23 ₱14.36
547.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.19 ¥7,613
$12.34 ₱777
290.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 ¥502
$0.79 ₱49.96
302.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.69 ¥425
$0.22 ₱13.86
1122.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.15 ¥3,342
$4.54 ₱286
365.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 ¥161
$1.32 ₱82.9
-22.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.2K ¥3.2M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
-4.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.6K ¥2.5M
$19.4K ₱1.2M
-19.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 ¥19.9K
$119 ₱7,464
6.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.15 ¥3,342
$14.22 ₱896
48.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.04 ¥4,746
$27.47 ₱1,730
9.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 ¥8,154
$32.31 ₱2,034
59.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.50 ₱409
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.70 ¥1,849
$5.40 ₱340
116.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$453 ¥71.6K
$276 ₱17.4K
64.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K ¥1.8M
$7,866 ₱495.3K
44.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.93 ¥7,414
$49.37 ₱3,108
-4.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.00 ¥5,688
$24.58 ₱1,548
46.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.6 ¥10.2K
$76.6 ₱4,825
-15.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.5 ¥13.3K
$58.9 ₱3,706
43.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$535 ¥84.5K
$503 ₱31.7K
6.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$333 ¥52.5K
$305 ₱19.2K
9.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 ¥160.9K
$1,075 ₱67.7K
-5.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$705 ¥111.4K
$632 ₱39.8K
11.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,897 ¥615.6K
$2,870 ₱180.7K
35.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,857 ¥293.4K
$1,877 ₱118.2K
-1.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fukushima
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$336 ₱21.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
7.2
-69.31%

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

Last update for Fukushima: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fukushima
$333
Cebu
$305 8.4% $28
Groceries & Markets
Fukushima
$288
Cebu
$210 27.3% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fukushima
$177
Cebu
$160 9.7% $17
Eating Out
Fukushima
$117
Cebu
$88 24.9% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Fukushima
$104
Cebu
$94 9.7% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Fukushima
$75
Cebu
$43 42.5% $32
Getting Around
Fukushima
$71
Cebu
$15 78.6% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Fukushima and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Fukushima vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Fukushima
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
02:39 2:39 AM
01:39 1:39 AM
1 h behind Fukushima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
282,693
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fukushima Cebu 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fukushima
  • 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
Fukushima vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Fukushima?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,748 in Fukushima and $1,372 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.
What is the rent difference between Fukushima and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $535 in Fukushima versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Fukushima and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,165 per month in Fukushima versus $915 in Cebu – a 27% 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 291% less than in Fukushima. 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 Fukushima or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $1,165 in Fukushima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Fukushima. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Fukushima or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fukushima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Fukushima or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Fukushima 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 27% less than in Fukushima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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