For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,841 in Jesi, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Jesi and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,841 in Jesi versus $915 in Cebu.
Jesi $1,841
Cebu $915
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Jesi versus $1,418 in Cebu.
Jesi $2,731
Cebu $1,418
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,621 in Jesi versus $1,921 in Cebu.
Jesi $3,621
Cebu $1,921
🌍
Living in Jesi is roughly 101% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Jesi is 36% above, Cebu is 33% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.16€15.26
$3.05₱192
462.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.26€39.37
$24.00₱1,511
84.42%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$14.77€13.14
$3.99₱251
270.18%
Cappuccino
$1.39€1.24
$2.50₱157
-44.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23€2.88
$1.54₱97.1
109.74%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50€1.33
$0.50₱31.37
200.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.62€5.00
$1.78₱112
215.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.90€7.03
$2.17₱136
264.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.85€1.65
$2.00₱126
-7.50%
White Bread(500g)
$2.52€2.24
$1.37₱86.2
83.94%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.88€2.56
$1.03₱64.9
179.61%
Eggs
$4.67€4.16
$2.03₱128
130.05%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$26.53€23.60
$10.20₱642
160.10%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.34€10.98
$4.45₱280
177.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$25.37€22.57
$7.67₱483
230.77%
Apples(1kg)
$2.94€2.61
$3.31₱208
-11.18%
Banana(1kg)
$2.65€2.36
$1.46₱91.8
81.51%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.40€3.02
$2.32₱146
46.55%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.33€2.96
$1.49₱94.0
123.49%
Potato(1kg)
$2.33€2.08
$2.34₱147
-0.43%
Onion(1kg)
$1.86€1.65
$1.94₱122
-4.12%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.79€1.59
$1.16₱73.0
54.31%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65€0.58
$0.68₱42.89
-4.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42€5.71
$2.99₱188
114.72%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.05€7.16
$6.24₱393
29.01%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00€1.78
$1.23₱77.3
62.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02€2.69
$1.73₱109
74.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.72€1.53
$0.23₱14.36
647.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.95€37.31
$12.34₱777
239.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.63€3.23
$0.79₱49.96
359.49%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.24€1.11
$0.22₱13.86
463.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$30.35€26.99
$4.54₱286
568.50%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.10€1.87
$1.32₱82.9
59.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K€31.6K
$21.0K₱1.3M
69.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K€33.8K
$19.4K₱1.2M
95.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$245€218
$119₱7,464
106.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.69€10.39
$14.22₱896
-17.79%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.86€26.56
$27.47₱1,730
8.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$56.4€50.2
$32.31₱2,034
74.59%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.10€22.33
$6.50₱409
286.15%
Cinema Ticket
$12.85€11.43
$5.40₱340
137.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$749€667
$276₱17.4K
171.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.6K€14.8K
$7,866₱495.3K
111.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.1€87.3
$49.37₱3,108
98.72%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.28€35.83
$24.58₱1,548
63.87%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$107€94.9
$76.6₱4,825
39.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146€130
$58.9₱3,706
148.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$727€647
$503₱31.7K
44.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$567€504
$305₱19.2K
86.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,169€1,040
$1,075₱67.7K
8.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$905€805
$632₱39.8K
43.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,971€2,642
$2,870₱180.7K
3.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,051€1,824
$1,877₱118.2K
9.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jesi
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,693€1,506
$336₱21.1K
404.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.16
7.2
-56.11%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Jesi: October 19, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Jesi
$567 30.8%
Cebu
$305 33.3% ↓ 46.3%$262
🛒Groceries & Markets
Jesi
$410 22.3%
Cebu
$210 22.9% ↓ 48.9%$200
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jesi
$287 15.6%
Cebu
$160 17.5% ↓ 44.1%$127
🍽Eating Out
Jesi
$261 14.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 66.4%$173
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Jesi
$176 9.6%
Cebu
$94 10.3% ↓ 46.5%$82
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Jesi
$82 4.5%
Cebu
$43 4.7% ↓ 47.5%$39
🚌Getting Around
Jesi
$59 3.2%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 74.2%$44
🏠Accommodation & Living
Jesi
$905 25%
Cebu
$632 32.9% ↓ 30.1%$273
🛒Groceries & Markets
Jesi
$974 26.9%
Cebu
$491 25.6% ↓ 49.5%$482
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jesi
$298 8.2%
Cebu
$174 9.1% ↓ 41.5%$124
🍽Eating Out
Jesi
$742 20.5%
Cebu
$290 15.1% ↓ 60.9%$452
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Jesi
$391 10.8%
Cebu
$209 10.9% ↓ 46.5%$182
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Jesi
$189 5.2%
Cebu
$93 4.8% ↓ 51%$97
🚌Getting Around
Jesi
$121 3.3%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 74.5%$90
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Jesi and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Jesi pays 404% 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: $44.00 in Jesi vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Jesi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Jesi?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Jesi or Cebu?
Average pay runs 404% higher in Jesi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Jesi and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $727 in Jesi versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Jesi and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,841 per month in Jesi versus $915 in Cebu – a 101% 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 240% less than in Jesi. 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 Jesi or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $1,841 in Jesi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Jesi. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Jesi or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jesi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Jesi or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Jesi 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 101% less than in Jesi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.