Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naga and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $558 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Naga
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Naga Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$558

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $558 in Naga versus $918 in Cebu.

Naga $558
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $852 in Naga versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Naga $852
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,147 in Naga versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Naga $1,147
Cebu $1,900

Living in Naga costs roughly 39% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Naga 59% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 ₱331

$3.09 ₱194

70.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.42 ₱845

$24.22 ₱1,525

-44.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.70 ₱170

$3.92 ₱247

-31.12%

Cappuccino

$2.67 ₱168

$2.51 ₱158

6.37%

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

$0.71 ₱44.50

$1.59 ₱100

-55.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.80

$0.53 ₱33.43

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 ₱83.3

$1.78 ₱112

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ₱197

$2.17 ₱137

44.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.92 ₱121

1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₱53.3

$1.36 ₱85.4

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱51.7

$1.01 ₱63.5

-18.81%

Eggs

$1.70 ₱107

$2.03 ₱128

-16.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ₱642

$9.86 ₱621

3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ₱256

$4.39 ₱277

-7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 ₱440

$7.60 ₱479

-8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$3.30 ₱208

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱102

$1.39 ₱87.8

17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$2.33 ₱147

4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 ₱153

$1.50 ₱94.3

62.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 ₱162

$2.36 ₱149

8.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱140

$1.90 ₱119

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.76 ₱300

$1.19 ₱74.9

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.28

$0.63 ₱39.71

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$3.00 ₱189

-3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.77 ₱237

$6.03 ₱379

-37.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.23 ₱77.7

30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 ₱36.08

$0.77 ₱48.62

-25.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$1.31 ₱82.8

-3.82%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$99.1 ₱6,242

$120 ₱7,569

-17.54%

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

$23.41 ₱1,474

$14.00 ₱882

67.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.23 ₱1,651

$27.54 ₱1,734

-4.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.07 ₱508

$32.33 ₱2,035

-75.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₱302

$5.65 ₱356

-15.04%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,052 ₱507.0K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

1.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,919

$500 ₱31.5K

-68.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.9 ₱5,411

$309 ₱19.4K

-72.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-76.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 ₱12.2K

$615 ₱38.7K

-68.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$145 ₱9,126

$346 ₱21.8K

-58.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Naga: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Naga

$206 * 36.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Naga

$149 26.7%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 8.7% $13

Eating Out

Naga

$99 17.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 10.8% $11

Accommodation & Living

Naga

$86 15.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 259% $223

Sport & Entertainment

Naga

$18 3.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 147% $26

Getting Around

Naga

$0.6 * 0.1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 2632% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Naga

- * 0%

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $158 in Naga and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 139% 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: $13.00 in Naga vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $206 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Naga

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

18:21 6:21 PM

Same time as Naga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,750

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Naga Cebu 380 km

From you

Naga
Cebu

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

Naga vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 139% 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: $158 in Naga versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Naga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Naga 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, Naga 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 Naga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.