For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,990 in Harrow, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 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 Harrow and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,990 in Harrow versus $918 in Cebu.
Harrow $2,990
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,436 in Harrow versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Harrow $4,436
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,883 in Harrow versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Harrow $5,883
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Harrow is roughly 226% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Harrow is 121% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.97£14.99
$3.09₱194
546.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.1£69.8
$24.22₱1,525
284.31%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.39£7.04
$3.92₱247
139.54%
Cappuccino
$4.54£3.40
$2.51₱158
80.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88£2.16
$1.59₱100
81.13%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95£1.46
$0.53₱33.43
267.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.48£5.61
$1.78₱112
320.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.04£5.28
$2.17₱137
224.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.62£1.21
$1.92₱121
-15.62%
White Bread(500g)
$1.86£1.40
$1.36₱85.4
36.76%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.70£1.27
$1.01₱63.5
68.32%
Eggs
$6.11£4.58
$2.03₱128
200.99%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.15£8.37
$9.86₱621
13.08%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.28£6.21
$4.39₱277
88.61%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.32£9.25
$7.60₱479
62.11%
Apples(1kg)
$2.06£1.55
$3.30₱208
-37.58%
Banana(1kg)
$1.30£0.98
$1.39₱87.8
-6.47%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.74£1.30
$2.33₱147
-25.32%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.19£3.90
$1.50₱94.3
246.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.30£0.98
$2.36₱149
-44.92%
Onion(1kg)
$1.58£1.19
$1.90₱119
-16.84%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.28£0.96
$1.19₱74.9
7.56%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30£0.97
$0.63₱39.71
106.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$22.63£16.98
$3.00₱189
654.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.46£7.10
$6.03₱379
56.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03£1.52
$1.23₱77.7
65.04%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30£0.98
$1.75₱110
-25.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.77£3.58
$0.25₱15.86
1808.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$12.64₱796
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$13.04£9.78
$0.77₱48.62
1593.51%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.93£2.95
$0.23₱14.53
1608.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$4.46₱281
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.89£1.42
$1.31₱82.8
44.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.6K£29.7K
$21.2K₱1.3M
86.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.6K£32.7K
$19.1K₱1.2M
127.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$202£151
$120₱7,569
67.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.13£11.35
$14.00₱882
8.07%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.77£29.84
$27.54₱1,734
44.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$78.0£58.5
$32.33₱2,035
141.29%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.97£10.48
$5.65₱356
147.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,909£1,432
$275₱17.3K
593.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$23.8K£17.9K
$7,918₱498.5K
201.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.8£58.4
$49.33₱3,106
57.67%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.6£43.93
$25.24₱1,589
132.01%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$104£78.3
$77.0₱4,846
35.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159£119
$57.2₱3,601
177.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,258£1,694
$500₱31.5K
352.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,794£1,346
$309₱19.4K
480.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$4,113£3,086
$1,078₱67.9K
281.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$3,116£2,338
$615₱38.7K
406.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,410£5,559
$2,886₱181.7K
156.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$7,360£5,522
$1,917₱120.7K
284.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Harrow
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$5,100£3,826
$346₱21.8K
1374.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.3
7.2
-26.39%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Harrow: 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
Harrow
$1.8K 60%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 82.8%$1.5K
🍽Eating Out
Harrow
$313 10.5%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 71.8%$225
🛒Groceries & Markets
Harrow
$288 9.6%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 28.6%$82
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harrow
$257 8.6%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 37%$95
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Harrow
$180 6%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 47.7%$86
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Harrow
$106 3.5%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 58.8%$62
🚌Getting Around
Harrow
$52 * 1.7%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 69.9%$36
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Harrow
$3.1K 53%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 80.3%$2.5K
🍽Eating Out
Harrow
$1.1K 18.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 73.4%$806
🛒Groceries & Markets
Harrow
$673 11.5%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 28.3%$191
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Harrow
$272 4.6%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 35.4%$96
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Harrow
$399 6.8%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 47.7%$191
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Harrow
$212 * 3.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 55.7%$118
🚌Getting Around
Harrow
$113 * 1.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 72%$81
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,258 in Harrow and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Harrow pays 1374% 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: $93.0 in Harrow vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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
Harrow vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Harrow?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 226% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Harrow or Cebu?
Average pay runs 1374% higher in Harrow, 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 Harrow and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,258 in Harrow versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Harrow and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Harrow. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Harrow and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,990 per month in Harrow versus $918 in Cebu – a 226% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Harrow or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,990 in Harrow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Harrow. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Harrow or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Harrow, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Harrow or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Harrow 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 226% less than in Harrow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.