For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,528 in Passau, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Passau and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,528 in Passau versus $918 in Cebu.
Passau $1,528
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,563 in Passau versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Passau $2,563
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Passau versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Passau $3,598
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Passau is roughly 66% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Passau is 13% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.77€14.92
$3.09₱194
442.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2€54.4
$24.22₱1,525
152.60%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.91€10.60
$3.92₱247
203.83%
Cappuccino
$3.78€3.36
$2.51₱158
50.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55€3.16
$1.59₱100
123.27%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09€2.75
$0.53₱33.43
483.02%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.32€3.84
$1.78₱112
142.70%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.91€4.37
$2.17₱137
126.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.17€1.04
$1.92₱121
-39.06%
White Bread(500g)
$2.06€1.83
$1.36₱85.4
51.47%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.17€2.82
$1.01₱63.5
213.86%
Eggs
$3.71€3.30
$2.03₱128
82.76%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.16€12.60
$9.86₱621
43.61%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$16.10€14.32
$4.39₱277
266.74%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.62€18.34
$7.60₱479
171.32%
Apples(1kg)
$2.89€2.57
$3.30₱208
-12.42%
Banana(1kg)
$1.75€1.55
$1.39₱87.8
25.90%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.05€1.82
$2.33₱147
-12.02%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.69€4.17
$1.50₱94.3
212.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.44€1.28
$2.36₱149
-38.98%
Onion(1kg)
$1.59€1.42
$1.90₱119
-16.32%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.75€1.55
$1.19₱74.9
47.06%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01€0.90
$0.63₱39.71
60.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.13€8.12
$3.00₱189
204.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.67€5.04
$6.03₱379
-5.97%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.05€0.93
$1.23₱77.7
-14.63%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73€1.54
$1.75₱110
-1.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Passau
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.75€2.45
$0.25₱15.86
1000.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$66.0€58.7
$12.64₱796
421.84%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.46€3.96
$0.77₱48.62
479.22%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.43€2.16
$0.23₱14.53
956.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$40.49€36.01
$4.46₱281
807.85%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.88€1.67
$1.31₱82.8
43.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K€29.4K
$21.2K₱1.3M
55.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$19.1K₱1.2M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$262€233
$120₱7,569
118.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.19€14.40
$14.00₱882
15.64%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.5€47.63
$27.54₱1,734
94.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$32.33₱2,035
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.10€10.77
$5.65₱356
114.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$692€616
$275₱17.3K
151.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.7K€16.6K
$7,918₱498.5K
135.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$49.33₱3,106
-
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$25.24₱1,589
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
-
$77.0₱4,846
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$57.2₱3,601
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Passau
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$674€599
$500₱31.5K
34.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$457€407
$309₱19.4K
47.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,662€1,479
$1,078₱67.9K
54.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,330€1,183
$615₱38.7K
116.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,886₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,917₱120.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Passau
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,438€3,058
$346₱21.8K
893.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.98
7.2
-44.72%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Passau: October 11, 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
Passau
$457 29.9%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 32.4%$148
🛒Groceries & Markets
Passau
$348 22.8%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 40.8%$142
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Passau
$332 21.7%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 51.3%$170
🍽Eating Out
Passau
$273 17.9%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 67.7%$185
🚌Getting Around
Passau
$94 6.1%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 83.4%$78
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Passau
$24 * 1.6%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 80.2%$19
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Passau
- * 0%
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Passau
$1.3K 37%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 53.7%$714
🛒Groceries & Markets
Passau
$827 23%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 41.6%$344
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Passau
$348 9.7%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 49.5%$172
🍽Eating Out
Passau
$852 23.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 65.7%$560
🚌Getting Around
Passau
$193 5.4%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 83.6%$161
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Passau
$48 * 1.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 93.9%$45
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Passau
- * 0%
Cebu
$209 11%
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $674 in Passau and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Passau pays 894% 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: $61.0 in Passau vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 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
Passau vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Passau?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Passau or Cebu?
Average pay runs 894% higher in Passau, 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 Passau and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $674 in Passau 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 Passau and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,528 per month in Passau versus $918 in Cebu – a 66% 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 422% less than in Passau. 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 Passau or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,528 in Passau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Passau. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Passau or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Passau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Passau or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Passau 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 66% less than in Passau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.