Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,130 in Ibaraki, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Ibaraki despite lower rent and utilities.

55

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
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Ibaraki Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,130

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Ibaraki versus $915 in Cebu.

Ibaraki $1,130
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,756 in Ibaraki versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Ibaraki $1,756
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,383 in Ibaraki versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Ibaraki $2,383
Cebu $1,921

Living in Ibaraki is roughly 24% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibaraki 17% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 ¥1,016

$3.05 ₱192

110.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 ¥4,888

$24.00 ₱1,511

28.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥781

$3.99 ₱251

24.06%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥480

$2.50 ₱157

21.60%

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

$1.15 ¥182

$1.54 ₱97.1

-25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.50 ₱31.37

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ¥421

$1.78 ₱112

49.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ¥499

$2.17 ₱136

45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.70 ¥427

$2.00 ₱126

35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥244

$1.37 ₱86.2

12.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 ¥638

$1.03 ₱64.9

292.23%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥334

$2.03 ₱128

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ¥1,663

$10.20 ₱642

3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ¥1,053

$4.45 ₱280

49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 ¥2,594

$7.67 ₱483

114.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 ¥599

$3.31 ₱208

14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 ¥357

$1.46 ₱91.8

54.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥443

$2.32 ₱146

21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥645

$1.49 ₱94.0

173.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ¥384

$2.34 ₱147

3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.94 ₱122

31.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.16 ₱73.0

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$0.68 ₱42.89

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ¥526

$2.99 ₱188

11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 ¥1,052

$6.24 ₱393

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥282

$1.23 ₱77.3

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$1.73 ₱109

24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 ¥266

$0.23 ₱14.36

630.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 ¥8,582

$12.34 ₱777

340.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 ¥735

$0.79 ₱49.96

488.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ¥444

$0.22 ₱13.86

1177.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 ¥2,890

$4.54 ₱286

303.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥178

$1.32 ₱82.9

-14.39%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

1.68%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-21.96%

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

$136 ¥21.5K

$119 ₱7,464

14.67%

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

$23.88 ¥3,773

$14.22 ₱896

67.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 ¥4,913

$27.47 ₱1,730

13.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥8,140

$32.31 ₱2,034

59.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 ¥2,046

$5.40 ₱340

139.81%

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

$464 ¥73.3K

$276 ₱17.4K

68.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$7,866 ₱495.3K

72.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.48 ¥4,184

$49.37 ₱3,108

-46.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.63 ¥4,997

$24.58 ₱1,548

28.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥10.6K

$76.6 ₱4,825

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 ¥12.6K

$58.9 ₱3,706

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ¥63.4K

$503 ₱31.7K

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 ¥41.1K

$305 ₱19.2K

-14.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 ¥174.2K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 ¥83.3K

$632 ₱39.8K

-16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,937 ¥622.0K

$2,870 ₱180.7K

37.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,554 ¥245.6K

$1,877 ₱118.2K

-17.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,553 ¥403.3K

$336 ₱21.1K

660.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

7.2

-69.31%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ibaraki

$300 26.5%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 30% $90

Accommodation & Living

Ibaraki

$260 23%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 17% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibaraki

$191 16.9%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 16.1% $31

Eating Out

Ibaraki

$130 11.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 32.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Ibaraki

$92 8.2%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 2.1% $2

Getting Around

Ibaraki

$80 7.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 81% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Ibaraki

$77 6.9%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 44.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Ibaraki and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 660% 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: $31.00 in Ibaraki vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h behind Ibaraki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

287,730

964,169

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ibaraki Cebu 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ibaraki
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

Ibaraki vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 660% higher in Ibaraki, 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: $401 in Ibaraki versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,130 per month in Ibaraki versus $915 in Cebu – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 340% less than in Ibaraki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,130 in Ibaraki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Ibaraki. 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 Ibaraki, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ibaraki 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 24% less than in Ibaraki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.