For one person, living is cheaper in Homs: $528 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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 Homs and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $528 in Homs versus $918 in Cebu.
Homs $528
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $795 in Homs versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Homs $795
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Homs versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Homs $1,063
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Homs costs roughly 43% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Homs61% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03SYP 368
$3.09₱194
-1.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.16SYP 1,478
$24.22₱1,525
-49.79%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.92SYP 840
$3.92₱247
76.53%
Cappuccino
$0.62SYP 75.0
$2.51₱158
-75.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22SYP 270
$1.59₱100
39.62%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52SYP 63.1
$0.53₱33.43
-1.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.98SYP 240
$1.78₱112
11.24%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.06SYP 493
$2.17₱137
87.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.81SYP 97.9
$1.92₱121
-57.81%
White Bread(500g)
$0.42SYP 51.0
$1.36₱85.4
-69.12%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.50SYP 183
$1.01₱63.5
48.51%
Eggs
$1.57SYP 190
$2.03₱128
-22.66%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$3.95SYP 480
$9.86₱621
-59.94%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.77SYP 701
$4.39₱277
31.44%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.15SYP 1,477
$7.60₱479
59.87%
Apples(1kg)
$0.60SYP 73.3
$3.30₱208
-81.82%
Banana(1kg)
$1.40SYP 171
$1.39₱87.8
0.72%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.58SYP 70.2
$2.33₱147
-75.11%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.33SYP 40.31
$1.50₱94.3
-78.00%
Potato(1kg)
$0.55SYP 66.4
$2.36₱149
-76.69%
Onion(1kg)
$0.79SYP 96.5
$1.90₱119
-58.42%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.27SYP 32.61
$1.19₱74.9
-77.31%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66SYP 80.1
$0.63₱39.71
4.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.48SYP 179
$3.00₱189
-50.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$3.77SYP 459
$6.03₱379
-37.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.72SYP 87.6
$1.23₱77.7
-41.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94SYP 357
$1.75₱110
68.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Homs
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.22SYP 26.46
$0.25₱15.86
-12.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$15.07SYP 1,831
$12.64₱796
19.22%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.97SYP 118
$0.77₱48.62
25.97%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.52SYP 185
$0.23₱14.53
560.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.98SYP 241
$4.46₱281
-55.61%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.22SYP 148
$1.31₱82.8
-6.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$13.2KSYP 1.6M
$21.2K₱1.3M
-37.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8KSYP 2.3M
$19.1K₱1.2M
-1.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$93.3SYP 11.3K
$120₱7,569
-22.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.52SYP 1,157
$14.00₱882
-32.00%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.79SYP 5,564
$27.54₱1,734
66.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$10.04SYP 1,220
$32.33₱2,035
-68.95%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.41SYP 658
$5.65₱356
-4.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$53.8SYP 6,543
$275₱17.3K
-80.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$904SYP 109.8K
$7,918₱498.5K
-88.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$5.05SYP 614
$49.33₱3,106
-89.76%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.04SYP 2,435
$25.24₱1,589
-20.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$60.9SYP 7,399
$77.0₱4,846
-20.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$30.39SYP 3,693
$57.2₱3,601
-46.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Homs
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$123SYP 14.9K
$500₱31.5K
-75.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$53.5SYP 6,500
$309₱19.4K
-82.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$352SYP 42.8K
$1,078₱67.9K
-67.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$138SYP 16.7K
$615₱38.7K
-77.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,886₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,917₱120.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Homs
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$72.3SYP 8,790
$346₱21.8K
-79.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
14.25
7.2
97.92%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Homs: October 11, 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.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Homs
$149 28.2%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 8.8%$13
🛒Groceries & Markets
Homs
$146 27.7%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↑ 40.7%$60
🍽Eating Out
Homs
$81 15.4%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↑ 8.5%$6.9
🏠Accommodation & Living
Homs
$53 10.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 477%$255
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Homs
$52 9.9%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↑ 79.4%$42
🚌Getting Around
Homs
$25 4.7%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 36.5%$8.9
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Homs
$21 4%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 109%$23
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Homs
$158 14.9%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 11.2%$18
🛒Groceries & Markets
Homs
$346 32.6%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↑ 39.5%$137
🍽Eating Out
Homs
$213 20.1%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↑ 37%$79
🏠Accommodation & Living
Homs
$138 13%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 347%$477
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Homs
$116 11%
Cebu
$209 11% ↑ 79.4%$92
🚌Getting Around
Homs
$49 4.7%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 36%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Homs
$42 * 3.9%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 125%$52
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 $123 in Homs and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 378% 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: $12.00 in Homs vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $146 vs $206 per month, with Homs cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Homs vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Homs?
Homs is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Homs or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 378% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Homs and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $123 in Homs 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 Homs and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $528 per month in Homs versus $918 in Cebu – a 74% 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 Homs runs roughly 19% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Homs or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Homs gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Homs or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Homs is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Homs or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Homs 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 Homs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.