For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,192 in Lamia, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. The total is higher in Lamia despite lower rent and utilities.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lamia and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Lamia versus $918 in Cebu.
Lamia $1,192
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Lamia versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Lamia $1,853
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,515 in Lamia versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Lamia $2,515
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Lamia is roughly 30% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Lamia12% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.07€15.18
$3.09₱194
452.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.8€48.75
$24.22₱1,525
126.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.45€7.52
$3.92₱247
115.56%
Cappuccino
$3.09€2.75
$2.51₱158
23.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37€1.22
$1.59₱100
-13.84%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49€0.43
$0.53₱33.43
-7.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.06€4.50
$1.78₱112
184.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.22€5.54
$2.17₱137
186.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.67€1.49
$1.92₱121
-13.02%
White Bread(500g)
$1.09€0.97
$1.36₱85.4
-19.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.04€1.82
$1.01₱63.5
101.98%
Eggs
$3.45€3.07
$2.03₱128
69.95%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.25€8.23
$9.86₱621
-6.19%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.04€5.37
$4.39₱277
37.59%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.18€8.17
$7.60₱479
20.79%
Apples(1kg)
$1.96€1.74
$3.30₱208
-40.61%
Banana(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.39₱87.8
58.27%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.97€1.75
$2.33₱147
-15.45%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.15€1.91
$1.50₱94.3
43.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.22€1.09
$2.36₱149
-48.31%
Onion(1kg)
$1.14€1.02
$1.90₱119
-40.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.58€0.51
$1.19₱74.9
-51.26%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88€0.78
$0.63₱39.71
39.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.93€4.39
$3.00₱189
64.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.03€6.25
$6.03₱379
16.58%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90€0.80
$1.23₱77.7
-26.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27€2.02
$1.75₱110
29.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.30€1.16
$0.25₱15.86
420.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.33€36.76
$12.64₱796
226.98%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.15€3.70
$0.77₱48.62
438.96%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.14€1.02
$0.23₱14.53
395.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.71€14.87
$4.46₱281
274.66%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.06€1.83
$1.31₱82.8
57.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K€24.9K
$21.2K₱1.3M
31.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K€24.2K
$19.1K₱1.2M
41.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$197€175
$120₱7,569
63.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.56€20.06
$14.00₱882
61.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.37€27.02
$27.54₱1,734
10.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$55.0€48.94
$32.33₱2,035
70.18%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.51€22.69
$6.65₱419
283.61%
Cinema Ticket
$7.62€6.78
$5.65₱356
34.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275€244
$275₱17.3K
-0.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,477€5,762
$7,918₱498.5K
-18.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.11€35.68
$49.33₱3,106
-18.69%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.68€40.63
$25.24₱1,589
80.98%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$67.1€59.7
$77.0₱4,846
-12.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€116
$57.2₱3,601
128.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$486€432
$500₱31.5K
-2.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$225€200
$309₱19.4K
-27.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$497€442
$1,078₱67.9K
-53.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$389€346
$615₱38.7K
-36.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,640€2,349
$2,886₱181.7K
-8.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,193€1,951
$1,917₱120.7K
14.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lamia
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,112€989
$346₱21.8K
221.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.34
7.2
-25.83%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lamia: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 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.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lamia
$250 21%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 35.2%$88
🍽Eating Out
Lamia
$244 20.5%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 63.9%$156
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lamia
$225 18.9%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 37.1%$84
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lamia
$219 18.3%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 5.8%$13
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lamia
$128 10.7%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 26.3%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lamia
$70 5.9%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 37.9%$27
🚌Getting Around
Lamia
$56 4.7%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 72.4%$41
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lamia
$272 10.8%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 35.4%$96
🍽Eating Out
Lamia
$774 30.8%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 62.3%$482
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lamia
$389 15.5%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 58.1%$226
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lamia
$514 20.4%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 6.1%$31
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lamia
$283 11.3%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 26.3%$75
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lamia
$166 6.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 43.4%$72
🚌Getting Around
Lamia
$115 4.6%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 72.6%$84
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Lamia and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lamia pays 222% 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: $55.0 in Lamia vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $206 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
Lamia vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Lamia?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lamia or Cebu?
Average pay runs 222% higher in Lamia, 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 Lamia and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $486 in Lamia 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 Lamia and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,192 per month in Lamia versus $918 in Cebu – a 30% 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 227% less than in Lamia. 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 Lamia or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,192 in Lamia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lamia. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lamia or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lamia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Lamia or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Lamia 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 30% less than in Lamia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.