For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,844 in Girona, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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 Girona and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Girona versus $918 in Cebu.
Girona $1,844
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,700 in Girona versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Girona $2,700
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,555 in Girona versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Girona $3,555
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Girona is roughly 101% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Girona is 37% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.88€15.90
$3.09₱195
478.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2€54.5
$24.22₱1,525
152.85%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.86€7.88
$3.92₱247
126.02%
Cappuccino
$2.48€2.21
$2.51₱158
-1.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10€1.87
$1.59₱100
32.08%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99€1.77
$0.53₱33.45
275.47%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.18€3.72
$1.78₱112
134.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34€3.86
$2.17₱137
100.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.25€1.12
$1.92₱121
-34.90%
White Bread(500g)
$1.17€1.04
$1.36₱85.5
-13.97%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.40€1.24
$1.01₱63.6
38.61%
Eggs
$2.99€2.66
$2.03₱128
47.29%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.97€9.76
$9.86₱621
11.26%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.02€7.13
$4.39₱277
82.69%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.78€13.15
$7.60₱479
94.47%
Apples(1kg)
$2.41€2.14
$3.30₱208
-26.97%
Banana(1kg)
$2.07€1.84
$1.39₱87.8
48.92%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.14€1.91
$2.33₱147
-8.15%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.54€2.26
$1.50₱94.3
69.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.60€1.43
$2.36₱149
-32.20%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.78
$1.90₱119
5.26%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.31€1.16
$1.19₱74.9
10.08%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63€0.56
$0.63₱39.73
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.85€6.09
$3.00₱189
128.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.61€5.88
$6.03₱380
9.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69€1.51
$1.23₱77.7
37.40%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80€1.60
$1.75₱110
2.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Girona
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.85€1.64
$0.25₱15.87
640.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$35.60€31.66
$12.64₱796
181.65%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.69€2.39
$0.77₱48.64
249.35%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.85€1.65
$0.23₱14.54
704.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.08€19.63
$4.46₱281
395.07%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.79€1.59
$1.31₱82.8
36.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K€30.7K
$21.2K₱1.3M
62.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K€26.8K
$19.1K₱1.2M
57.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$127€113
$120₱7,573
5.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.73€21.10
$14.00₱882
69.50%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.06€30.29
$27.54₱1,735
23.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.1€46.37
$32.33₱2,036
61.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.24€19.78
$6.65₱419
234.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19€8.18
$5.65₱356
62.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$670€596
$275₱17.3K
143.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,374€8,337
$7,918₱498.8K
18.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.7€67.3
$49.33₱3,107
53.40%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.35€38.55
$25.24₱1,590
71.75%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$79.6€70.8
$77.0₱4,848
3.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120€107
$57.2₱3,603
109.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Girona
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,232€1,095
$500₱31.5K
146.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$893€794
$309₱19.5K
189.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,065€1,837
$1,078₱67.9K
91.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,348€1,199
$615₱38.8K
119.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,150€4,580
$2,886₱181.8K
78.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,686€3,278
$1,917₱120.7K
92.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Girona
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,786€1,589
$346₱21.8K
416.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.02
7.2
-58.06%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Girona: 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
Girona
$893 48.4%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 65.4%$584
🛒Groceries & Markets
Girona
$252 13.7%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 18.2%$46
🍽Eating Out
Girona
$245 13.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 64%$157
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Girona
$185 10%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 12.6%$23
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Girona
$143 7.8%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 34.5%$49
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Girona
$71 3.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 38.1%$27
🚌Getting Around
Girona
$55 3%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 71.7%$39
🏠Accommodation & Living
Girona
$1.3K 37.9%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 54.4%$733
🛒Groceries & Markets
Girona
$596 16.8%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 19%$113
🍽Eating Out
Girona
$807 22.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 63.8%$515
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Girona
$209 5.9%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 15.8%$33
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Girona
$319 9%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 34.5%$110
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Girona
$163 4.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 42.5%$69
🚌Getting Around
Girona
$114 3.2%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 72.1%$82
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,232 in Girona and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Girona pays 416% 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: $61.0 in Girona vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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
Girona vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Girona?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Girona or Cebu?
Average pay runs 416% higher in Girona, 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 Girona and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,232 in Girona 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 Girona and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,844 per month in Girona versus $918 in Cebu – a 101% 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 182% less than in Girona. 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 Girona or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,844 in Girona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Girona. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Girona or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Girona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Girona or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Girona 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 101% less than in Girona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.