For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,787 in Nimes, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Nimes and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,787 in Nimes versus $918 in Cebu.
Nimes $1,787
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,892 in Nimes versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Nimes $2,892
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,998 in Nimes versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Nimes $3,998
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Nimes is roughly 95% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Nimes is 32% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.97€15.09
$3.09₱194
449.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.8€48.73
$24.22₱1,525
126.18%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.30€10.94
$3.92₱247
213.78%
Cappuccino
$3.44€3.06
$2.51₱158
37.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32€2.06
$1.59₱100
45.91%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10€0.98
$0.53₱33.43
107.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.78€6.03
$1.78₱112
280.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74€5.10
$2.17₱137
164.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.29€1.15
$1.92₱121
-32.81%
White Bread(500g)
$1.49€1.33
$1.36₱85.4
9.56%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.39€2.13
$1.01₱63.5
136.63%
Eggs
$3.90€3.47
$2.03₱128
92.12%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.79€11.38
$9.86₱621
29.72%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.86€9.66
$4.39₱277
147.38%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$24.54€21.83
$7.60₱479
222.89%
Apples(1kg)
$2.69€2.39
$3.30₱208
-18.48%
Banana(1kg)
$2.26€2.01
$1.39₱87.8
62.59%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.70€2.40
$2.33₱147
15.88%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.94€4.39
$1.50₱94.3
229.33%
Potato(1kg)
$2.53€2.25
$2.36₱149
7.20%
Onion(1kg)
$2.34€2.08
$1.90₱119
23.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.43€1.27
$1.19₱74.9
20.17%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31€1.17
$0.63₱39.71
107.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.68€12.17
$3.00₱189
356.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.68€5.05
$6.03₱379
-5.80%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.44€3.06
$1.23₱77.7
179.67%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97€2.64
$1.75₱110
69.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.75€1.55
$0.25₱15.86
600.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$39.15€34.83
$12.64₱796
209.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.19€2.84
$0.77₱48.62
314.29%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.44€1.28
$0.23₱14.53
526.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$30.47€27.11
$4.46₱281
583.18%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.04€1.81
$1.31₱82.8
55.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.5K€22.7K
$21.2K₱1.3M
20.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K€28.9K
$19.1K₱1.2M
69.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$200€178
$120₱7,569
66.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.28€25.15
$14.00₱882
102.00%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.73€30.89
$27.54₱1,734
26.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.10€36.55
$32.33₱2,035
27.13%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.30€10.05
$6.65₱419
69.92%
Cinema Ticket
$13.56€12.06
$5.65₱356
140.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$604€537
$275₱17.3K
119.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,376€6,561
$7,918₱498.5K
-6.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1€77.5
$49.33₱3,106
76.55%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.74€34.46
$25.24₱1,589
53.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$90.3€80.4
$77.0₱4,846
17.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146€130
$57.2₱3,601
155.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$733€652
$500₱31.5K
46.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$613€545
$309₱19.4K
98.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,426€1,269
$1,078₱67.9K
32.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,435€1,276
$615₱38.7K
133.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,398€3,022
$2,886₱181.7K
17.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,294€2,040
$1,917₱120.7K
19.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nimes
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,341€2,082
$346₱21.8K
576.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.66
7.2
-49.17%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Nimes: 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
Nimes
$613 34.3%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 49.6%$304
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nimes
$350 19.6%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 41.2%$144
🍽Eating Out
Nimes
$273 15.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 67.7%$185
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nimes
$263 14.7%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 38.5%$101
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nimes
$163 9.1%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 42.3%$69
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nimes
$68 3.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 36.1%$25
🚌Getting Around
Nimes
$57 3.2%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 72.5%$41
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nimes
$1.4K 35.9%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 57.1%$819
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nimes
$825 20.6%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 41.5%$342
🍽Eating Out
Nimes
$821 20.5%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 64.4%$529
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nimes
$291 7.3%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 39.7%$116
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nimes
$362 9.1%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 42.3%$153
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nimes
$148 3.7%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 36.5%$54
🚌Getting Around
Nimes
$117 2.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 72.9%$85
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Nimes and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Nimes pays 577% 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 Nimes vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 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
Nimes vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Nimes?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Nimes or Cebu?
Average pay runs 577% higher in Nimes, 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 Nimes and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Nimes 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 Nimes and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,787 per month in Nimes versus $918 in Cebu – a 95% 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 210% less than in Nimes. 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 Nimes or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,787 in Nimes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Nimes. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Nimes or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nimes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Nimes or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Nimes 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 95% less than in Nimes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.