Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ligao City and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ligao City: $731 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Ligao City
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Ligao City Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Ligao City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$731

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Ligao City versus $915 in Cebu.

Ligao City $731
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,112 in Ligao City versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Ligao City $1,112
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,493 in Ligao City versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Ligao City $1,493
Cebu $1,921

Living in Ligao City costs roughly 20% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ligao City 46% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱240

$3.05 ₱192

25.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.76 ₱1,055

$24.00 ₱1,511

-30.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱174

$3.99 ₱251

-30.58%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$2.50 ₱157

-12.80%

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

$0.61 ₱38.65

$1.54 ₱97.1

-60.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.98

$0.50 ₱31.37

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱71.7

$1.78 ₱112

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱121

$2.17 ₱136

-11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱103

$2.00 ₱126

-18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$1.37 ₱86.2

-18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$1.03 ₱64.9

-10.68%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$2.03 ₱128

-7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 ₱355

$10.20 ₱642

-44.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.27 ₱269

$4.45 ₱280

-4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 ₱457

$7.67 ₱483

-5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱153

$3.31 ₱208

-26.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100.0

$1.46 ₱91.8

8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$2.32 ₱146

1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$1.49 ₱94.0

-24.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$2.34 ₱147

-17.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.94 ₱122

4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ₱58.5

$1.16 ₱73.0

-19.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₱36.44

$0.68 ₱42.89

-14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 ₱189

$2.99 ₱188

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 ₱483

$6.24 ₱393

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.6

$1.23 ₱77.3

-24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱117

$1.73 ₱109

7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.10

$0.23 ₱14.36

4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.02 ₱694

$12.34 ₱777

-10.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.21

$0.79 ₱49.96

-7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.51

$0.22 ₱13.86

4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$4.54 ₱286

-58.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.0

$1.32 ₱82.9

-6.06%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

3.59%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-2.58%

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

$121 ₱7,622

$119 ₱7,464

2.12%

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

$14.98 ₱943

$14.22 ₱896

5.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.57 ₱1,547

$27.47 ₱1,730

-10.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.97 ₱2,076

$32.31 ₱2,034

2.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.78 ₱301

$6.50 ₱409

-26.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 ₱321

$5.40 ₱340

-5.74%

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

$133 ₱8,387

$276 ₱17.4K

-51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,007 ₱504.1K

$7,866 ₱495.3K

1.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.54 ₱2,049

$49.37 ₱3,108

-34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.19 ₱1,208

$24.58 ₱1,548

-21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ₱4,583

$76.6 ₱4,825

-5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 ₱3,572

$58.9 ₱3,706

-3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ₱17.1K

$503 ₱31.7K

-46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.9K

$305 ₱19.2K

-43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 ₱33.2K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

-50.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 ₱22.4K

$632 ₱39.8K

-43.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 ₱152.0K

$2,870 ₱180.7K

-15.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 ₱63.3K

$1,877 ₱118.2K

-46.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$273 ₱17.2K

$336 ₱21.1K

-18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.2

-5.69%

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

Last update for Ligao City: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ligao City

$180 24.6%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 16.6% $30

Accommodation & Living

Ligao City

$174 23.8%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 75.4% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ligao City

$161 22%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ligao City

$82 11.2%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 15.5% $13

Eating Out

Ligao City

$78 10.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 12% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ligao City

$43 5.9%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Ligao City

$14 1.9%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 9.2% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Ligao City and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 23% 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: $17.00 in Ligao City vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $210 per month, with Ligao City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Ligao City

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

Same time as Ligao City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,955

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ligao City Cebu 330 km

From you

Ligao City
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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

Ligao City vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ligao City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $272 in Ligao City versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $731 per month in Ligao City versus $915 in Cebu – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ligao City runs roughly 12% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ligao City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Ligao City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ligao City 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 Ligao City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.