Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Otsu and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,300 in Otsu, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,300

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,300 in Otsu versus $918 in Cebu.

Otsu $1,300
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,886 in Otsu versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Otsu $1,886
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,472 in Otsu versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Otsu $2,472
Cebu $1,900

Living in Otsu is roughly 42% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Otsu 4% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.63 ¥1,364

$3.09 ₱194

179.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.03 ¥5,061

$24.22 ₱1,525

32.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥790

$3.92 ₱247

27.55%

Cappuccino

$3.24 ¥511

$2.51 ₱158

29.08%

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

$1.23 ¥195

$1.59 ₱100

-22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.53 ₱33.43

66.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 ¥501

$1.78 ₱112

78.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 ¥678

$2.17 ₱137

97.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.92 ₱121

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.36 ₱85.4

13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 ¥714

$1.01 ₱63.5

347.52%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥334

$2.03 ₱128

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.86 ¥2,506

$9.86 ₱621

60.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 ¥1,089

$4.39 ₱277

56.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 ¥2,689

$7.60 ₱479

123.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 ¥775

$3.30 ₱208

48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ¥390

$1.39 ₱87.8

77.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 ¥771

$2.33 ₱147

109.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 ¥689

$1.50 ₱94.3

190.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ¥344

$2.36 ₱149

-7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.90 ₱119

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥181

$1.19 ₱74.9

-4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥149

$0.63 ₱39.71

49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥614

$3.00 ₱189

29.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ¥1,530

$6.03 ₱379

60.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$1.23 ₱77.7

59.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥343

$1.75 ₱110

24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥235

$0.25 ₱15.86

496.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.6 ¥8,303

$12.64 ₱796

315.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$0.77 ₱48.62

306.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 ¥442

$0.23 ₱14.53

1117.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.90 ¥4,566

$4.46 ₱281

547.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.31 ₱82.8

-18.32%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.59%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-20.46%

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

$115 ¥18.2K

$120 ₱7,569

-4.20%

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

$23.03 ¥3,639

$14.00 ₱882

64.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ¥4,878

$27.54 ₱1,734

12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 ¥8,082

$32.33 ₱2,035

58.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.67 ¥1,528

$6.65 ₱419

45.41%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 ¥1,948

$5.65 ₱356

118.23%

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

$569 ¥89.9K

$275 ₱17.3K

106.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

56.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ¥8,955

$49.33 ₱3,106

14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.70 ¥5,639

$25.24 ₱1,589

41.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ¥10.9K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-9.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 ¥15.6K

$57.2 ₱3,601

72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥71.1K

$500 ₱31.5K

-9.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥59.4K

$309 ₱19.4K

21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 ¥98.7K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-42.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥72.8K

$615 ₱38.7K

-25.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,259 ¥672.9K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

47.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,749 ¥276.3K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-8.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,814 ¥286.6K

$346 ₱21.8K

424.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

7.2

-70.83%

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

Last update for Otsu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Otsu

$376 28.9%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 17.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

Otsu

$331 25.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 37.7% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Otsu

$169 13%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 4.3% $7.3

Eating Out

Otsu

$156 12%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 43.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Otsu

$117 9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 19.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Otsu

$76 5.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 42.5% $32

Getting Around

Otsu

$76 5.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 79.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Otsu and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 424% 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: $32.00 in Otsu vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Otsu

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h behind Otsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

341,314

964,169

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Otsu Cebu 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Otsu
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

Otsu vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 424% higher in Otsu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Otsu versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,300 per month in Otsu versus $918 in Cebu – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 316% less than in Otsu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,300 in Otsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Otsu. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Otsu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Otsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.