For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,060 in Galati, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Galati and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Galati versus $934 in Cebu.
Galati $1,060
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,604 in Galati versus $1,415 in Cebu.
Galati $1,604
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Galati versus $1,896 in Cebu.
Galati $2,148
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in Galati is roughly 14% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Galati21% lower, Cebu30% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.30RON 48.72
$3.03₱190
239.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.07RON 199
$23.48₱1,473
79.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.17RON 33.90
$4.09₱256
75.31%
Cappuccino
$2.53RON 11.97
$2.52₱158
0.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13RON 10.06
$1.54₱96.9
38.31%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82RON 8.62
$0.49₱30.98
271.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.11RON 9.99
$1.79₱112
17.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20RON 15.15
$2.26₱142
41.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.24RON 5.87
$1.95₱122
-36.41%
White Bread(500g)
$0.66RON 3.13
$1.43₱89.7
-53.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.74RON 8.21
$1.02₱63.8
70.59%
Eggs
$3.49RON 16.51
$2.06₱129
69.42%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.76RON 36.69
$9.81₱615
-20.90%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.88RON 27.79
$4.61₱289
27.55%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.53RON 40.33
$7.70₱483
10.78%
Apples(1kg)
$1.32RON 6.25
$3.31₱207
-60.12%
Banana(1kg)
$1.65RON 7.80
$1.45₱90.9
13.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.57RON 7.42
$2.36₱148
-33.47%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.78RON 8.42
$1.54₱96.4
15.58%
Potato(1kg)
$0.96RON 4.56
$2.36₱148
-59.32%
Onion(1kg)
$1.02RON 4.82
$1.99₱125
-48.74%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.80RON 3.80
$1.15₱72.1
-30.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67RON 3.16
$0.67₱42.15
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.79RON 27.40
$3.00₱188
93.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.29RON 25.03
$6.35₱398
-16.69%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.95RON 4.51
$1.31₱81.9
-27.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19RON 5.65
$1.73₱108
-31.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Galati
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.75RON 3.56
$0.25₱15.78
200.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$24.50RON 116
$12.65₱793
93.68%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.62RON 2.92
$0.74₱46.32
-16.22%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.70RON 3.32
$0.21₱13.11
233.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.94RON 32.83
$4.33₱271
60.28%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.76RON 8.31
$1.33₱83.5
32.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3KRON 133.8K
$21.8K₱1.4M
29.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0KRON 118.2K
$19.4K₱1.2M
28.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$151RON 714
$121₱7,563
25.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.58RON 35.87
$14.45₱907
-47.54%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.84RON 37.11
$28.29₱1,774
-72.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$38.52RON 182
$32.68₱2,050
17.87%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.79RON 165
$6.39₱401
444.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.14RON 29.04
$5.46₱342
12.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$587RON 2,777
$273₱17.1K
114.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,028RON 23.8K
$8,156₱511.5K
-38.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.2RON 460
$49.57₱3,109
96.01%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.64RON 150
$24.87₱1,560
27.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$61.8RON 292
$76.6₱4,804
-19.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.6RON 400
$59.3₱3,717
42.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Galati
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$381RON 1,800
$506₱31.7K
-24.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$323RON 1,526
$309₱19.4K
4.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$783RON 3,705
$1,052₱66.0K
-25.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$571RON 2,703
$619₱38.8K
-7.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,622RON 7,672
$2,915₱182.9K
-44.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,250RON 5,914
$1,867₱117.1K
-33.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Galati
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$903RON 4,270
$341₱21.4K
164.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
7.2
-
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Galati: October 4, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 5, 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
Galati
$323 30.8%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 4.1%$13
🛒Groceries & Markets
Galati
$184 17.6%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↑ 14.5%$27
🍽Eating Out
Galati
$167 16%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 47.1%$79
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galati
$166 15.9%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 1.8%$3
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Galati
$124 11.8%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 23.6%$29
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Galati
$51 4.9%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 14.2%$7.2
🚌Getting Around
Galati
$32 3%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 51.2%$16
🏠Accommodation & Living
Galati
$571 26%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↑ 8.3%$48
🛒Groceries & Markets
Galati
$434 19.7%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↑ 13.6%$59
🍽Eating Out
Galati
$546 24.8%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 47.1%$257
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Galati
$174 7.9%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↑ 2.2%$3.9
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Galati
$275 12.5%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 23.6%$65
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Galati
$136 6.2%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 31.4%$43
🚌Getting Around
Galati
$65 2.9%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 51.6%$33
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Galati and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Galati pays 165% 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: $42.00 in Galati vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $210, with Galati cheaper for home cooking.
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
Galati vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Galati?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Galati or Cebu?
Average pay runs 165% higher in Galati, 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 Galati and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $381 in Galati versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Galati and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,060 per month in Galati versus $934 in Cebu – a 14% 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 94% less than in Galati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Galati or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Galati or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Galati, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Galati or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Galati 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 14% less than in Galati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.