Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasig and Cebu Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasig and Cebu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Pasig versus $873 in Cebu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Pasig versus $1,339 in Cebu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Pasig versus $1,805 in Cebu.

Monthly costs are close between Pasig and Cebu; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pasig 34% lower, Cebu 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 ₱274

$4.39 ₱270

1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.08 ₱1,667

$24.30 ₱1,496

11.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 ₱206

$4.53 ₱279

-26.05%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₱162

$2.52 ₱155

4.37%

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

$0.64 ₱39.68

$0.80 ₱49.42

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.34

$0.42 ₱25.97

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₱95.5

$1.59 ₱97.7

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₱160

$2.19 ₱135

19.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱118

$2.26 ₱139

-15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ₱82.3

$1.51 ₱93.0

-11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ₱66.2

$1.16 ₱71.6

-6.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ₱136

$2.36 ₱145

-6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ₱572

$12.87 ₱792

-27.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 ₱258

$5.38 ₱331

-22.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 ₱541

$7.82 ₱481

12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 ₱214

$3.53 ₱217

-1.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱114

$1.51 ₱92.9

22.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 ₱223

$3.29 ₱203

10.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱110

$2.20 ₱136

-18.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 ₱165

$2.64 ₱162

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 ₱187

$2.46 ₱152

23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 ₱122

$1.00 ₱61.4

99.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱43.88

$0.78 ₱48.06

-8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₱198

$3.10 ₱191

3.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 ₱613

$6.43 ₱396

54.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₱89.6

$1.16 ₱71.7

25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱130

$2.24 ₱138

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.81

$0.26 ₱15.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.22 ₱383

$15.36 ₱946

-59.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₱56.5

$0.81 ₱49.81

13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.48

$0.23 ₱14.06

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₱134

$2.64 ₱163

-17.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱68.3

$1.10 ₱67.7

0.91%

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

$26.2K ₱1.6M

$30.5K ₱1.9M

-14.02%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$27.7K ₱1.7M

-25.09%

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

$136 ₱8,347

$95.9 ₱5,904

41.39%

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

$34.64 ₱2,133

$34.05 ₱2,096

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.11 ₱1,669

$29.86 ₱1,839

-9.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.86 ₱2,084

$33.32 ₱2,051

1.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.33 ₱267

$8.45 ₱520

-48.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 ₱404

$5.79 ₱357

13.30%

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

$154 ₱9,458

$235 ₱14.5K

-34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,791 ₱294.9K

$3,913 ₱240.9K

22.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.88 ₱2,948

$53.1 ₱3,272

-9.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 ₱2,175

$22.65 ₱1,395

55.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 ₱4,615

$76.1 ₱4,685

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.14 ₱2,902

$55.0 ₱3,383

-14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 ₱21.9K

$508 ₱31.3K

-30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₱12.3K

$210 ₱12.9K

-4.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ₱36.7K

$800 ₱49.3K

-25.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ₱31.3K

$389 ₱24.0K

30.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,342 ₱205.8K

$3,013 ₱185.5K

10.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,594 ₱159.7K

$1,950 ₱120.1K

32.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 ₱27.9K

$340 ₱20.9K

33.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-43.75%

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

Last update for Pasig: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Pasig and $508 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pasig pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27.00 in Pasig vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $241, with Pasig cheaper for home cooking.

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

Pasig vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 33% higher in Pasig, 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: $355 in Pasig versus $508 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 147% less than in Pasig. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Pasig pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $873 in Cebu versus $876 in Pasig, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Pasig. 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 Pasig, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pasig 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.

It comes down to priorities – Cebu wins on affordability, Pasig on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.