Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Legazpi and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Legazpi: $709 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.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Legazpi and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $709 in Legazpi versus $934 in Cebu.
Legazpi $709
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,094 in Legazpi versus $1,423 in Cebu.
Legazpi $1,094
Cebu $1,423
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Legazpi versus $1,913 in Cebu.
Legazpi $1,480
Cebu $1,913
🌍
Living in Legazpi costs roughly 24% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Legazpi48% lower, Cebu31% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.86₱247
$3.79₱242
1.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.72₱1,068
$23.33₱1,491
-28.33%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$2.83₱181
$3.94₱252
-28.17%
Cappuccino
$2.19₱140
$2.54₱163
-13.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64₱40.79
$1.57₱100
-59.24%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34₱21.43
$0.47₱29.82
-27.66%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.19₱75.8
$1.77₱113
-32.77%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13₱136
$2.22₱142
-4.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.58₱101
$1.90₱121
-16.84%
White Bread(500g)
$1.09₱69.6
$1.36₱87.1
-19.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.95₱60.7
$0.94₱59.8
1.06%
Eggs
$2.60₱166
$1.99₱127
30.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.53₱353
$9.70₱620
-42.99%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.08₱261
$4.32₱276
-5.56%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.82₱436
$7.51₱480
-9.19%
Apples(1kg)
$2.29₱146
$3.31₱211
-30.82%
Banana(1kg)
$1.56₱99.6
$1.37₱87.5
13.87%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41₱154
$2.34₱149
2.99%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.17₱74.6
$1.49₱95.4
-21.48%
Potato(1kg)
$2.04₱130
$2.30₱147
-11.30%
Onion(1kg)
$2.27₱145
$1.87₱120
21.39%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08₱69.3
$1.10₱70.3
-1.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53₱34.02
$0.63₱40.36
-15.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.96₱189
$2.86₱183
3.50%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.39₱472
$6.08₱389
21.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04₱66.2
$1.27₱81.4
-18.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94₱124
$1.72₱110
12.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.18₱11.32
$0.22₱13.99
-18.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.82₱755
$12.34₱788
-4.21%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.75₱47.69
$0.74₱47.53
1.35%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.71
$0.22₱14.08
4.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.83₱117
$4.28₱273
-57.24%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.16₱74.0
$1.31₱83.7
-11.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K₱1.5M
$20.8K₱1.3M
15.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.1K₱1.2M
$19.0K₱1.2M
-5.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119₱7,577
$118₱7,565
0.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.23₱973
$15.76₱1,007
-3.36%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.18₱1,928
$28.33₱1,810
6.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$31.32₱2,001
$32.94₱2,105
-4.92%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.23₱334
$6.49₱415
-19.41%
Cinema Ticket
$5.23₱334
$5.45₱348
-4.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$129₱8,226
$276₱17.6K
-53.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,669₱490.0K
$7,789₱497.7K
-1.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.40₱2,070
$48.18₱3,078
-32.75%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.79₱1,201
$24.47₱1,564
-23.21%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$95.5₱6,103
$75.3₱4,810
26.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.5₱3,481
$58.0₱3,707
-6.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$193₱12.3K
$477₱30.5K
-59.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$138₱8,838
$322₱20.6K
-57.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$515₱32.9K
$963₱61.5K
-46.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$316₱20.2K
$626₱40.0K
-49.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,906₱185.7K
$4,551₱290.8K
-36.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,050₱67.1K
$3,028₱193.5K
-65.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Legazpi
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$264₱16.8K
$333₱21.3K
-20.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.12
7.2
40.56%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Legazpi: October 26, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 26, 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Legazpi
$180 25.4%
Cebu
$204 21.8% ↑ 13.3%$24
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Legazpi
$164 23.2%
Cebu
$163 17.4% ↓ 0.9%$1.5
🏠Accommodation & Living
Legazpi
$138 19.5%
Cebu
$322 34.5% ↑ 133%$183
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Legazpi
$91 12.8%
Cebu
$93 9.9% ↑ 2.4%$2.1
🍽Eating Out
Legazpi
$80 11.3%
Cebu
$94 10.1% ↑ 18.1%$14
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Legazpi
$42 5.9%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↑ 5%$2.1
🚌Getting Around
Legazpi
$14 2%
Cebu
$15 1.6% ↑ 4.4%$0.6
🛒Groceries & Markets
Legazpi
$422 28.5%
Cebu
$477 25% ↑ 13.2%$56
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Legazpi
$179 12.1%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 0.5%$1
🏠Accommodation & Living
Legazpi
$316 21.4%
Cebu
$626 32.7% ↑ 97.8%$309
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Legazpi
$201 13.6%
Cebu
$206 10.8% ↑ 2.4%$4.8
🍽Eating Out
Legazpi
$244 16.5%
Cebu
$301 15.7% ↑ 23.6%$57
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Legazpi
$89 6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 6.1%$5.4
🚌Getting Around
Legazpi
$29 2%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↑ 4.6%$1.3
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $193 in Legazpi and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 26% 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: $17 in Legazpi vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $204 per month, with Legazpi 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
Legazpi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Legazpi cheaper than Cebu?
Legazpi is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Legazpi or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Legazpi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Legazpi and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $193 in Legazpi versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Legazpi and in Cebu?
All in, you’ll spend $709 per month in Legazpi versus $934 in Cebu – Legazpi is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Legazpi runs roughly 4% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Legazpi or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Legazpi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Legazpi or in Cebu?
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.
Which city is safer, Legazpi or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Legazpi and Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Legazpi 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.