Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isernia and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,684 in Isernia, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Isernia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,684
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Isernia versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Isernia $1,684
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,410 in Isernia versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Isernia $2,410
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,137 in Isernia versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Isernia $3,137
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Isernia is roughly 83% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isernia is 25% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.72 €14.87
$3.09 ₱194
441.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.2 €48.21
$24.22 ₱1,525
123.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.66 €6.81
$3.92 ₱247
95.41%
Cappuccino
$1.31 €1.17
$2.51 ₱158
-47.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.59 ₱100
36.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.53 ₱33.43
105.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.88 €3.45
$1.78 ₱112
117.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 €3.06
$2.17 ₱137
58.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.92 ₱121
-18.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.36 ₱85.4
28.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.91 €2.59
$1.01 ₱63.5
188.12%
Eggs
$2.74 €2.44
$2.03 ₱128
34.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.33 €13.63
$9.86 ₱621
55.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.63 €10.35
$4.39 ₱277
164.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.14 €14.36
$7.60 ₱479
112.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.34 €2.08
$3.30 ₱208
-29.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$1.39 ₱87.8
39.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 €1.81
$2.33 ₱147
-12.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.50 ₱94.3
50.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.62 €1.44
$2.36 ₱149
-31.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 €1.42
$1.90 ₱119
-15.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.19 ₱74.9
-0.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 €0.37
$0.63 ₱39.71
-34.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.77 €6.02
$3.00 ₱189
125.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.27 €6.47
$6.03 ₱379
20.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.23 ₱77.7
56.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.75 ₱110
30.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 €1.51
$0.25 ₱15.86
580.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.89 €37.26
$12.64 ₱796
231.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.55 €4.94
$0.77 ₱48.62
620.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.24 €2.00
$0.23 ₱14.53
873.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.69 €21.07
$4.46 ₱281
431.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.31 ₱82.8
59.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K €32.3K
$21.2K ₱1.3M
70.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K €31.8K
$19.1K ₱1.2M
86.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$212 €188
$120 ₱7,569
76.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.48 €10.21
$14.00 ₱882
-18.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.18 €26.85
$27.54 ₱1,734
9.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.9 €53.3
$32.33 ₱2,035
85.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.05 €20.50
$6.65 ₱419
246.62%
Cinema Ticket
$8.46 €7.52
$5.65 ₱356
49.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$740 €658
$275 ₱17.3K
168.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,588 €4,970
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-29.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.7 €74.4
$49.33 ₱3,106
69.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.67 €41.51
$25.24 ₱1,589
84.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 €95.6
$77.0 ₱4,846
39.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 €128
$57.2 ₱3,601
151.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$749 €666
$500 ₱31.5K
49.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 €540
$309 ₱19.4K
96.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 €893
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-6.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 €689
$615 ₱38.7K
25.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,610 €2,322
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-9.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,142 €1,905
$1,917 ₱120.7K
11.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Isernia
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$346 ₱21.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.92
7.2
-45.56%

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

Last update for Isernia: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Isernia
$607
Cebu
$309 49.1% $298
Groceries & Markets
Isernia
$298
Cebu
$206 30.8% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isernia
$253
Cebu
$162 36.1% $92
Eating Out
Isernia
$212
Cebu
$88 58.3% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Isernia
$172
Cebu
$94 45.4% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Isernia
$77
Cebu
$44 43.2% $33
Getting Around
Isernia
$65
Cebu
$16 76.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $749 in Isernia and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Isernia vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Isernia
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
20:46 8:46 PM
02:46 2:46 AM
6 h ahead of Isernia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,000
964,169
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Isernia Cebu 10,830 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Isernia
  • 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
Isernia vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Isernia?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,526 in Isernia 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.
What is the rent difference between Isernia and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $749 in Isernia 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 Isernia and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,684 per month in Isernia versus $918 in Cebu – a 83% 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 Cebu runs roughly 231% less than in Isernia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Isernia or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,684 in Isernia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Isernia. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Isernia or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Isernia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Isernia or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Isernia 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 83% less than in Isernia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Isernia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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