For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,338 in Pecs, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Pecs and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,338 in Pecs versus $934 in Cebu.
Pecs $1,338
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in Pecs versus $1,415 in Cebu.
Pecs $2,058
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,777 in Pecs versus $1,896 in Cebu.
Pecs $2,777
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in Pecs is roughly 43% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Pecs is 0% above, Cebu is 30% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.29Ft 3,676
$3.03₱191
272.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.3Ft 19.6K
$23.48₱1,476
156.77%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.21Ft 3,000
$4.09₱257
125.18%
Cappuccino
$2.45Ft 798
$2.52₱158
-2.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34Ft 436
$1.54₱97.2
-12.99%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24Ft 404
$0.49₱31.06
153.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.71Ft 556
$1.79₱113
-4.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23Ft 725
$2.26₱142
-1.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.23Ft 400
$1.95₱122
-36.92%
White Bread(500g)
$1.57Ft 510
$1.43₱89.9
9.79%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.46Ft 802
$1.02₱64.0
141.18%
Eggs
$3.28Ft 1,069
$2.06₱129
59.22%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.14Ft 3,302
$9.81₱617
3.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.63Ft 2,158
$4.61₱290
43.82%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.95Ft 5,193
$7.70₱484
107.14%
Apples(1kg)
$2.38Ft 774
$3.31₱208
-28.10%
Banana(1kg)
$2.28Ft 744
$1.45₱91.2
57.24%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.53Ft 825
$2.36₱148
7.20%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.94Ft 1,282
$1.54₱96.6
155.84%
Potato(1kg)
$1.12Ft 365
$2.36₱148
-52.54%
Onion(1kg)
$1.35Ft 439
$1.99₱125
-32.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.87Ft 608
$1.15₱72.3
62.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58Ft 190
$0.67₱42.26
-13.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$8.76Ft 2,854
$3.00₱189
192.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.63Ft 1,508
$6.35₱399
-27.09%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37Ft 445
$1.31₱82.1
4.58%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61Ft 851
$1.73₱109
50.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.51Ft 491
$0.25₱15.82
504.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$23.59Ft 7,681
$12.65₱796
86.48%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.30Ft 1,076
$0.74₱46.44
345.95%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.46Ft 475
$0.21₱13.15
595.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.60Ft 8,012
$4.33₱272
468.13%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.79Ft 583
$1.33₱83.7
34.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0KFt 9.8M
$21.8K₱1.4M
37.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.9KFt 12.0M
$19.4K₱1.2M
90.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$168Ft 54.9K
$121₱7,583
39.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.30Ft 6,612
$14.45₱909
40.48%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.23Ft 6,914
$28.29₱1,779
-24.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$46.06Ft 15.0K
$32.68₱2,055
40.94%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68Ft 6,082
$6.39₱402
192.33%
Cinema Ticket
$8.81Ft 2,870
$5.46₱343
61.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$420Ft 136.6K
$273₱17.2K
53.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,762Ft 2.5M
$8,156₱512.9K
-4.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101Ft 32.8K
$49.57₱3,117
103.19%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.6Ft 16.8K
$24.87₱1,564
107.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.0Ft 31.9K
$76.6₱4,817
27.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109Ft 35.4K
$59.3₱3,727
83.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619Ft 201.7K
$506₱31.8K
22.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$444Ft 144.5K
$309₱19.5K
43.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$987Ft 321.4K
$1,052₱66.1K
-6.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$676Ft 220.1K
$619₱38.9K
9.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,296Ft 1.1M
$2,915₱183.4K
13.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,804Ft 913.3K
$1,867₱117.4K
50.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pecs
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,056Ft 343.8K
$341₱21.5K
209.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8
7.2
11.11%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Pecs: October 5, 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
Pecs
$444 32.9%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 30.3%$134
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pecs
$260 19.2%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↓ 18.9%$49
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pecs
$210 15.6%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 22.2%$47
🍽Eating Out
Pecs
$171 12.6%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 48.2%$82
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pecs
$162 12%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 41.5%$67
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pecs
$64 4.7%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 31.5%$20
🚌Getting Around
Pecs
$40 3%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 61.6%$25
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pecs
$676 24.5%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↓ 8.4%$57
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pecs
$616 22.3%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↓ 19.9%$123
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pecs
$230 8.4%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 22.8%$53
🍽Eating Out
Pecs
$648 23.5%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 55.5%$359
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pecs
$359 13%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 41.5%$149
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pecs
$146 5.3%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 35.9%$52
🚌Getting Around
Pecs
$83 3%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 62.4%$52
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Pecs and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Pecs pays 210% 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: $60.0 in Pecs vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 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
Pecs vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Pecs?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Pecs or Cebu?
Average pay runs 210% higher in Pecs, 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 Pecs and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Pecs 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 Pecs and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,338 per month in Pecs versus $934 in Cebu – a 43% 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 86% less than in Pecs. 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 Pecs or in Cebu?
At $934 in Cebu versus $1,338 in Pecs, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Pecs. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Pecs or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pecs, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Pecs or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Pecs 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 43% less than in Pecs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.