Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Island Garden City of Samal and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $706 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$706

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $706 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $934 in Cebu.

Island Garden City of Samal $706
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,082 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,082
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,458 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,458
Cebu $1,913

Living in Island Garden City of Samal costs roughly 24% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Island Garden City of Samal 48% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 ₱72.9

$3.79 ₱243

-69.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.35 ₱1,046

$23.33 ₱1,493

-29.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.79 ₱243

$3.94 ₱252

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$2.11 ₱135

$2.54 ₱163

-16.93%

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

$1.06 ₱67.6

$1.57 ₱100

-32.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.32

$0.47 ₱29.87

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ₱73.8

$1.77 ₱113

-35.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱135

$2.22 ₱142

-4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₱127

$1.90 ₱121

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.5

$1.36 ₱87.3

-21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱57.3

$0.94 ₱59.9

-5.32%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱119

$1.99 ₱127

-6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 ₱407

$9.70 ₱621

-34.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 ₱304

$4.32 ₱276

9.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₱599

$7.51 ₱481

24.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱172

$3.31 ₱212

-19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱70.7

$1.37 ₱87.6

-18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱154

$2.34 ₱150

2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.49 ₱95.5

-23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱122

$2.30 ₱147

-16.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 ₱212

$1.87 ₱120

77.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱76.1

$1.10 ₱70.4

8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱42.07

$0.63 ₱40.42

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱156

$2.86 ₱183

-14.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₱502

$6.08 ₱389

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.2

$1.27 ₱81.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₱106

$1.72 ₱110

-4.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱13.11

$0.22 ₱14.01

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.01 ₱705

$12.34 ₱790

-10.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.74

$0.74 ₱47.60

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.36

$0.22 ₱14.10

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 ₱117

$4.28 ₱274

-57.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱78.2

$1.31 ₱83.8

-6.87%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.71%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.32%

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

$99.2 ₱6,344

$118 ₱7,577

-16.27%

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

$18.94 ₱1,212

$15.76 ₱1,009

20.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.09 ₱1,990

$28.33 ₱1,813

9.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.50 ₱1,760

$32.94 ₱2,108

-16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₱327

$6.49 ₱415

-21.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 ₱304

$5.45 ₱349

-12.66%

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

$107 ₱6,835

$276 ₱17.6K

-61.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,424 ₱475.1K

$7,789 ₱498.4K

-4.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.48 ₱2,079

$48.18 ₱3,083

-32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.95 ₱1,212

$24.47 ₱1,566

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 ₱4,427

$75.3 ₱4,817

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.0 ₱3,902

$58.0 ₱3,713

5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₱14.0K

$477 ₱30.5K

-54.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ₱10.4K

$322 ₱20.6K

-49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₱31.8K

$963 ₱61.6K

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ₱21.5K

$626 ₱40.0K

-46.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,516 ₱161.0K

$4,551 ₱291.2K

-44.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 ₱77.6K

$3,028 ₱193.8K

-59.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.2

15.42%

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

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Island Garden City of Samal

$198 28.1%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 2.8% $5.6

Accommodation & Living

Island Garden City of Samal

$163 23.1%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 97.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 21.1%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 8.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Island Garden City of Samal

$82 11.6%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 13.4% $11

Eating Out

Island Garden City of Samal

$63 8.9%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 50% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Island Garden City of Samal

$37 5.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 18.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Island Garden City of Samal

$14 2%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 9.2% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $219 in Island Garden City of Samal and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Island Garden City of Samal vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $204 per month, with Island Garden City of Samal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

Same time as Island Garden City of Samal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,771

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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

Island Garden City of Samal vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Island Garden City of Samal is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,059 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,401 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: $219 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $706 per month in Island Garden City of Samal versus $934 in Cebu – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Island Garden City of Samal runs roughly 11% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $706 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Island Garden City of Samal but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Island Garden City of Samal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.