Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,920 in Hilversum, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Hilversum
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Hilversum Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Hilversum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,920

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,920 in Hilversum versus $918 in Cebu.

Hilversum $2,920
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,236 in Hilversum versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Hilversum $4,236
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,553 in Hilversum versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Hilversum $5,553
Cebu $1,900

Living in Hilversum is roughly 218% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hilversum is 116% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.73 €24.67

$3.09 ₱194

797.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €70.7

$24.22 ₱1,525

228.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.70 €14.85

$3.92 ₱247

326.02%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.82

$2.51 ₱158

71.31%

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

$3.92 €3.49

$1.59 ₱100

146.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$0.53 ₱33.43

462.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 €4.92

$1.78 ₱112

210.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 €4.92

$2.17 ₱137

154.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.92 ₱121

-5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.36 ₱85.4

74.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$1.01 ₱63.5

243.56%

Eggs

$5.27 €4.69

$2.03 ₱128

159.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.30 €12.72

$9.86 ₱621

45.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.35

$4.39 ₱277

216.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 €14.64

$7.60 ₱479

116.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$3.30 ₱208

-23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 €2.38

$1.39 ₱87.8

92.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.33 ₱147

16.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 €4.63

$1.50 ₱94.3

247.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.36 ₱149

-19.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.90 ₱119

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.19 ₱74.9

24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.63 ₱39.71

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 €11.21

$3.00 ₱189

320.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €6.07

$6.03 ₱379

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.31

$1.23 ₱77.7

20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$1.75 ₱110

55.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.22

$0.25 ₱15.86

1348.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 €58.7

$12.64 ₱796

422.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.89

$0.77 ₱48.62

614.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$0.23 ₱14.53

1395.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.12 €19.67

$4.46 ₱281

395.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.31 ₱82.8

82.44%

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

$41.8K €37.2K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

96.87%

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

$42.6K €37.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

122.39%

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

$265 €236

$120 ₱7,569

120.35%

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

$28.28 €25.15

$14.00 ₱882

102.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 €56.2

$27.54 ₱1,734

129.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €60.5

$32.33 ₱2,035

110.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.61 €29.89

$6.65 ₱419

405.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 €14.88

$5.65 ₱356

196.11%

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

$678 €603

$275 ₱17.3K

146.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K €13.9K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

97.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €100

$49.33 ₱3,106

128.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 €42.60

$25.24 ₱1,589

89.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €80.4

$77.0 ₱4,846

17.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$57.2 ₱3,601

147.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,497

$500 ₱31.5K

236.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 €1,274

$309 ₱19.4K

363.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,924 €2,601

$1,078 ₱67.9K

171.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 €2,029

$615 ₱38.7K

270.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,800 €6,049

$2,886 ₱181.7K

135.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,225 €4,648

$1,917 ₱120.7K

172.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,910 €3,478

$346 ₱21.8K

1030.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

7.2

-40.28%

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

Last update for Hilversum: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilversum

$1.4K 49.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 78.4% $1.1K

Eating Out

Hilversum

$390 13.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 77.4% $302

Groceries & Markets

Hilversum

$360 12.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 42.9% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilversum

$356 12.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 54.6% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Hilversum

$177 6.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 46.8% $83

Getting Around

Hilversum

$103 3.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 84.9% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Hilversum

$101 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 57% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,683 in Hilversum and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 1030% 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: $80.0 in Hilversum vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Hilversum

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

6 h ahead of Hilversum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,345

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hilversum Cebu 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilversum
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

Hilversum vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 218% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1030% higher in Hilversum, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,683 in Hilversum versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,920 per month in Hilversum versus $918 in Cebu – a 218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 422% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,920 in Hilversum, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. 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 Hilversum, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hilversum 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 218% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.