Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $717 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Pagadian versus $918 in Cebu.

Pagadian $717
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,100 in Pagadian versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Pagadian $1,100
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Pagadian versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Pagadian $1,483
Cebu $1,900

Living in Pagadian costs roughly 22% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pagadian 47% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ₱240

$3.09 ₱194

23.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.55 ₱1,042

$24.22 ₱1,525

-31.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 ₱174

$3.92 ₱247

-29.34%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₱121

$2.51 ₱158

-23.11%

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

$0.87 ₱54.7

$1.59 ₱100

-45.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.39

$0.53 ₱33.43

-56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₱89.3

$1.78 ₱112

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$2.17 ₱137

-8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ₱107

$1.92 ₱121

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₱65.8

$1.36 ₱85.4

-22.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.5

$1.01 ₱63.5

-7.92%

Eggs

$1.63 ₱102

$2.03 ₱128

-19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.93 ₱310

$9.86 ₱621

-50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 ₱258

$4.39 ₱277

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 ₱381

$7.60 ₱479

-20.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₱163

$3.30 ₱208

-21.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₱90.8

$1.39 ₱87.8

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 ₱159

$2.33 ₱147

8.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$1.50 ₱94.3

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 ₱111

$2.36 ₱149

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.90 ₱119

3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.7

$1.19 ₱74.9

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.28

$0.63 ₱39.71

1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₱197

$3.00 ₱189

4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 ₱506

$6.03 ₱379

33.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$1.23 ₱77.7

-17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₱107

$1.75 ₱110

-2.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.36

$0.25 ₱15.86

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.91 ₱687

$12.64 ₱796

-13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.09

$0.77 ₱48.62

-5.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.71

$0.23 ₱14.53

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$4.46 ₱281

-57.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₱66.9

$1.31 ₱82.8

-19.08%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-10.60%

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

$17.9K ₱1.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-6.72%

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

$122 ₱7,687

$120 ₱7,569

1.56%

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

$15.52 ₱977

$14.00 ₱882

10.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.08 ₱1,516

$27.54 ₱1,734

-12.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.90 ₱2,260

$32.33 ₱2,035

11.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.29 ₱270

$6.65 ₱419

-35.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 ₱352

$5.65 ₱356

-1.06%

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

$129 ₱8,114

$275 ₱17.3K

-53.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,823 ₱429.6K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-13.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.11 ₱2,148

$49.33 ₱3,106

-30.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.27 ₱1,088

$25.24 ₱1,589

-31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 ₱4,719

$77.0 ₱4,846

-2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,527

$57.2 ₱3,601

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.5K

$500 ₱31.5K

-47.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₱10.2K

$309 ₱19.4K

-47.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ₱32.0K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-52.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$615 ₱38.7K

-41.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 ₱162.2K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-10.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 ₱62.2K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-48.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.2

-5.69%

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

Last update for Pagadian: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pagadian

$173 24.1%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 19% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pagadian

$162 22.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 0% $0.1

Accommodation & Living

Pagadian

$161 22.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 91.2% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Pagadian

$82 11.5%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 14.5% $12

Eating Out

Pagadian

$77 10.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 14.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Pagadian

$47 6.6%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 7.3% $3.5

Getting Around

Pagadian

$14 1.9%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 11.9% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Pagadian and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Pagadian vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $206 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

Same time as Pagadian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

199,060

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

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Pagadian Cebu 280 km

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Pagadian
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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

Pagadian vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pagadian is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,075 in Pagadian and $1,377 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $263 in Pagadian versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $717 per month in Pagadian versus $918 in Cebu – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pagadian runs roughly 16% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Pagadian 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, Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.