For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $3,140 in Oxford, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 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 Oxford and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,140 in Oxford versus $934 in Cebu.
Oxford $3,140
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,486 in Oxford versus $1,415 in Cebu.
Oxford $4,486
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,831 in Oxford versus $1,896 in Cebu.
Oxford $5,831
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in Oxford is roughly 236% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Oxford is 134% above, Cebu is 30% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.41£18.44
$3.03₱190
705.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105£79.5
$23.48₱1,473
347.96%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.78£8.15
$4.09₱256
163.57%
Cappuccino
$5.00£3.78
$2.52₱158
98.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41£3.33
$1.54₱96.9
186.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29£1.73
$0.49₱30.98
367.35%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$8.99£6.79
$1.79₱112
402.23%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$8.39£6.34
$2.26₱142
271.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.67£1.26
$1.95₱122
-14.36%
White Bread(500g)
$1.61£1.22
$1.43₱89.7
12.59%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.92£1.45
$1.02₱63.8
88.24%
Eggs
$4.27£3.23
$2.06₱129
107.28%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.46£10.93
$9.81₱615
47.40%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.20£6.20
$4.61₱289
77.87%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.87£11.24
$7.70₱483
93.12%
Apples(1kg)
$3.44£2.60
$3.31₱207
3.93%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62£1.22
$1.45₱90.9
11.72%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.03£2.29
$2.36₱148
28.39%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.50£2.64
$1.54₱96.4
127.27%
Potato(1kg)
$1.74£1.31
$2.36₱148
-26.27%
Onion(1kg)
$1.73£1.31
$1.99₱125
-13.07%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.17£0.88
$1.15₱72.1
1.74%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65£1.25
$0.67₱42.15
146.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.08£17.44
$3.00₱188
669.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.15£8.43
$6.35₱398
75.59%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.44£2.60
$1.31₱81.9
162.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57£2.70
$1.73₱108
106.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.04£3.05
$0.25₱15.78
1516.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$107£80.7
$12.65₱793
744.27%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.95£3.74
$0.74₱46.32
568.92%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.14£2.37
$0.21₱13.11
1395.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$41.40£31.28
$4.33₱271
856.12%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.09£1.58
$1.33₱83.5
57.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K£29.4K
$21.8K₱1.4M
78.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K£30.3K
$19.4K₱1.2M
106.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$355£268
$121₱7,563
194.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.88£13.51
$14.45₱907
23.74%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.92£32.44
$28.29₱1,774
51.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.70£33.78
$32.68₱2,050
36.78%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.33£8.56
$6.39₱401
77.31%
Cinema Ticket
$14.51£10.97
$5.46₱342
165.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,266£1,713
$273₱17.1K
728.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.4K£11.6K
$8,156₱511.5K
88.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.3£72.0
$49.57₱3,109
92.21%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.69£34.53
$24.87₱1,560
83.72%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101£76.4
$76.6₱4,804
32.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102£77.1
$59.3₱3,717
72.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,279£1,722
$506₱31.7K
350.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,656£1,252
$309₱19.4K
435.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,222£2,435
$1,052₱66.0K
206.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,582£1,951
$619₱38.8K
317.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,976£6,028
$2,915₱182.9K
173.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$6,813£5,148
$1,867₱117.1K
264.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oxford
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,924£2,966
$341₱21.4K
1050.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.79
7.2
-33.47%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Oxford: October 3, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 5, 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
Oxford
$1.7K 52.7%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 81.3%$1.3K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oxford
$415 13.2%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 60.7%$252
🍽Eating Out
Oxford
$376 12%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 76.5%$288
🛒Groceries & Markets
Oxford
$323 10.3%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↓ 34.9%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Oxford
$155 4.9%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 38.9%$60
🚌Getting Around
Oxford
$144 4.6%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 89.2%$128
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Oxford
$74 2.4%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 40.9%$30
🏠Accommodation & Living
Oxford
$2.6K 44.2%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↓ 76%$2K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oxford
$433 7.4%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 59%$256
🍽Eating Out
Oxford
$1.3K 22%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 77.5%$996
🛒Groceries & Markets
Oxford
$741 12.7%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↓ 33.5%$248
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Oxford
$344 5.9%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 38.9%$134
🚌Getting Around
Oxford
$295 5.1%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 89.4%$264
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Oxford
$159 2.7%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 41.1%$65
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,279 in Oxford and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Oxford pays 1051% 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: $105 in Oxford vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $210 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
Oxford vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Oxford?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 236% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Oxford or Cebu?
Average pay runs 1051% higher in Oxford, 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 Oxford and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,279 in Oxford versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Oxford and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $3,140 per month in Oxford versus $934 in Cebu – a 236% 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 744% less than in Oxford. 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 Oxford or in Cebu?
At $934 in Cebu versus $3,140 in Oxford, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Oxford. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Oxford or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oxford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Oxford or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Oxford 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 236% less than in Oxford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.