Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichikawa and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,167 in Ichikawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
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Ichikawa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $918 in Cebu.

Ichikawa $1,167
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,876 in Ichikawa versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Ichikawa $1,876
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,585 in Ichikawa versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Ichikawa $2,585
Cebu $1,900

Living in Ichikawa is roughly 27% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ichikawa 14% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 ¥811

$3.09 ₱194

66.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.09 ¥4,912

$24.22 ₱1,525

28.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.30 ¥680

$3.92 ₱247

9.69%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ¥352

$2.51 ₱158

-11.16%

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

$0.72 ¥113

$1.59 ₱100

-54.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥55.7

$0.53 ₱33.43

-33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥395

$1.78 ₱112

40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥502

$2.17 ₱137

46.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.92 ₱121

-28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥261

$1.36 ₱85.4

21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 ¥578

$1.01 ₱63.5

262.38%

Eggs

$1.97 ¥311

$2.03 ₱128

-2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ¥1,663

$9.86 ₱621

6.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 ¥926

$4.39 ₱277

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 ¥2,272

$7.60 ₱479

89.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 ¥874

$3.30 ₱208

67.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 ¥442

$1.39 ₱87.8

101.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥444

$2.33 ₱147

20.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$1.50 ₱94.3

184.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥413

$2.36 ₱149

10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.90 ₱119

34.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.19 ₱74.9

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.63 ₱39.71

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ¥590

$3.00 ₱189

24.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 ¥1,007

$6.03 ₱379

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥281

$1.23 ₱77.7

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥320

$1.75 ₱110

15.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$0.25 ₱15.86

440.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 ¥9,457

$12.64 ₱796

373.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$0.77 ₱48.62

306.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 ¥432

$0.23 ₱14.53

1086.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.59 ¥3,253

$4.46 ₱281

361.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.31 ₱82.8

-19.85%

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

$21.2K ¥3.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-0.17%

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

$18.5K ¥2.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-3.23%

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

$132 ¥20.8K

$120 ₱7,569

9.66%

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

$23.97 ¥3,788

$14.00 ₱882

71.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.98 ¥5,052

$27.54 ₱1,734

16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.04 ¥7,431

$32.33 ₱2,035

45.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 ¥2,022

$5.65 ₱356

126.55%

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

$642 ¥101.4K

$275 ₱17.3K

133.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

83.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ¥9,801

$49.33 ₱3,106

25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 ¥5,889

$25.24 ₱1,589

47.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 ¥9,559

$77.0 ₱4,846

-21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$57.2 ₱3,601

77.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥78.3K

$500 ₱31.5K

-0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ¥50.1K

$309 ₱19.4K

2.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ¥187.3K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 ¥120.5K

$615 ₱38.7K

23.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 ¥703.9K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

54.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,881 ¥297.2K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-1.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

7.2

-63.33%

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

Last update for Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ichikawa

$317 27.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 2.5% $8

Groceries & Markets

Ichikawa

$287 24.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 28.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ichikawa

$188 16.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 13.9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ichikawa

$118 10.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 20.2% $24

Eating Out

Ichikawa

$104 8.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 15% $16

Getting Around

Ichikawa

$82 7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 81% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Ichikawa

$73 6.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 39.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Ichikawa and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Ichikawa vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

03:28 3:28 AM

1 h behind Ichikawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

496,676

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 18, 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 18, 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

Ichikawa Cebu 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ichikawa
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

Ichikawa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,751 in Ichikawa and $1,377 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Ichikawa versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,167 per month in Ichikawa versus $918 in Cebu – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 374% less than in Ichikawa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,167 in Ichikawa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Ichikawa. 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 Ichikawa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ichikawa 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 27% less than in Ichikawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.