Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,210 in Lincoln, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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 Lincoln and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lincoln versus $918 in Cebu.
Lincoln $2,210
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,279 in Lincoln versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Lincoln $3,279
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,349 in Lincoln versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Lincoln $4,349
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Lincoln is roughly 141% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lincoln is 64% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.56£19.92
$3.09₱194
759.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.5£64.9
$24.22₱1,525
257.06%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.97£5.98
$3.92₱247
103.32%
Cappuccino
$4.85£3.64
$2.51₱158
93.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58£1.94
$1.59₱100
62.26%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97£1.48
$0.53₱33.43
271.70%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.46£4.85
$1.78₱112
262.92%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63£4.97
$2.17₱137
205.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.38£1.03
$1.92₱121
-28.13%
White Bread(500g)
$1.46£1.10
$1.36₱85.4
7.35%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.35£1.01
$1.01₱63.5
33.66%
Eggs
$3.20£2.40
$2.03₱128
57.64%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.35£6.26
$9.86₱621
-15.31%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.39£6.30
$4.39₱277
91.12%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.31£8.49
$7.60₱479
48.82%
Apples(1kg)
$3.62£2.72
$3.30₱208
9.70%
Banana(1kg)
$1.25£0.93
$1.39₱87.8
-10.07%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.94£2.20
$2.33₱147
26.18%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.56£2.67
$1.50₱94.3
137.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.54£1.16
$2.36₱149
-34.75%
Onion(1kg)
$1.21£0.90
$1.90₱119
-36.32%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.04£0.78
$1.19₱74.9
-12.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35£1.01
$0.63₱39.71
114.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.20£17.40
$3.00₱189
673.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.69£8.02
$6.03₱379
77.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.30£2.47
$1.23₱77.7
168.29%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54£2.66
$1.75₱110
102.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.26£3.20
$0.25₱15.86
1604.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$107£80.1
$12.64₱796
744.94%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.84£2.88
$0.77₱48.62
398.70%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.78£0.58
$0.23₱14.53
239.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.63£14.73
$4.46₱281
340.13%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.96£1.47
$1.31₱82.8
49.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K£28.9K
$21.2K₱1.3M
81.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K£29.8K
$19.1K₱1.2M
107.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$308£231
$120₱7,569
156.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.78£12.59
$14.00₱882
19.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.98£29.24
$27.54₱1,734
41.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.20£19.65
$32.33₱2,035
-18.96%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.26£15.95
$6.65₱419
219.70%
Cinema Ticket
$15.16£11.38
$5.65₱356
168.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,809£1,357
$275₱17.3K
557.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$20.6K£15.4K
$7,918₱498.5K
159.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113£85.1
$49.33₱3,106
130.00%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0£43.49
$25.24₱1,589
129.68%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$87.0£65.3
$77.0₱4,846
13.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.4£73.8
$57.2₱3,601
72.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,096£822
$500₱31.5K
119.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$864£648
$309₱19.4K
179.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,952£1,464
$1,078₱67.9K
81.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,408£1,056
$615₱38.7K
128.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,548£1,911
$2,886₱181.7K
-11.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,205£904
$1,917₱120.7K
-37.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lincoln
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,188£2,391
$346₱21.8K
821.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.88
7.2
-32.22%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lincoln: 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lincoln
$864 39.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 64.2%$555
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lincoln
$364 16.5%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 55.5%$202
🍽Eating Out
Lincoln
$358 16.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 75.4%$270
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lincoln
$275 12.4%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 25.1%$69
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lincoln
$161 7.3%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 41.5%$67
🚌Getting Around
Lincoln
$132 6%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 88.2%$116
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lincoln
$57 2.6%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 22.8%$13
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lincoln
$1.4K 32.4%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 56.3%$793
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lincoln
$381 8.8%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 53.8%$205
🍽Eating Out
Lincoln
$1.2K 27%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 75.1%$880
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lincoln
$625 14.4%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 22.8%$143
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lincoln
$357 8.2%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 41.5%$148
🚌Getting Around
Lincoln
$272 6.3%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 88.4%$240
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lincoln
$134 3.1%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 30.1%$40
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Lincoln and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lincoln pays 821% 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: $86.0 in Lincoln vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 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
Lincoln vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Lincoln?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lincoln or Cebu?
Average pay runs 821% higher in Lincoln, 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 Lincoln and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,096 in Lincoln 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 Lincoln and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lincoln versus $918 in Cebu – a 141% 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 745% less than in Lincoln. 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 Lincoln or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,210 in Lincoln, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lincoln. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lincoln or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lincoln, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Lincoln or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Lincoln 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 141% less than in Lincoln. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.