For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,177 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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 Perth and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,177 in Perth versus $918 in Cebu.
Perth $2,177
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,195 in Perth versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Perth $3,195
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,213 in Perth versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Perth $4,213
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Perth is roughly 137% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Perth is 61% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.74£17.81
$3.09₱194
668.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.7£60.5
$24.22₱1,525
232.99%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$15.71£11.79
$3.92₱247
300.77%
Cappuccino
$4.07£3.05
$2.51₱158
62.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50£1.87
$1.59₱100
57.23%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67£1.25
$0.53₱33.43
215.09%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.32£4.74
$1.78₱112
255.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.77£4.33
$2.17₱137
165.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.39£1.05
$1.92₱121
-27.60%
White Bread(500g)
$1.40£1.05
$1.36₱85.4
2.94%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.87£1.40
$1.01₱63.5
85.15%
Eggs
$2.32£1.74
$2.03₱128
14.29%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.18£6.14
$9.86₱621
-17.04%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.38£6.29
$4.39₱277
90.89%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.16£9.87
$7.60₱479
73.16%
Apples(1kg)
$2.28£1.71
$3.30₱208
-30.91%
Banana(1kg)
$1.59£1.19
$1.39₱87.8
14.39%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.47£1.85
$2.33₱147
6.01%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.26£2.44
$1.50₱94.3
117.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.48£1.11
$2.36₱149
-37.29%
Onion(1kg)
$1.76£1.32
$1.90₱119
-7.37%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.05£0.79
$1.19₱74.9
-11.76%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45£1.09
$0.63₱39.71
130.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$20.85£15.64
$3.00₱189
595.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.06£8.30
$6.03₱379
83.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.02£2.27
$1.23₱77.7
145.53%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76£2.07
$1.75₱110
57.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.39£2.55
$0.25₱15.86
1256.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$97.5£73.1
$12.64₱796
671.12%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.19£3.89
$0.77₱48.62
574.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.48£1.86
$0.23₱14.53
978.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$23.68£17.77
$4.46₱281
430.94%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.93£1.44
$1.31₱82.8
47.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K£25.5K
$21.2K₱1.3M
60.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K£30.5K
$19.1K₱1.2M
112.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$603£452
$120₱7,569
401.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.35£10.01
$14.00₱882
-4.64%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.42£26.57
$27.54₱1,734
28.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.99£33.76
$32.33₱2,035
39.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.33£10.75
$5.65₱356
153.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,194£895
$275₱17.3K
333.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$22.2K£16.7K
$7,918₱498.5K
180.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.3£67.0
$49.33₱3,106
81.03%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.84£32.89
$25.24₱1,589
73.69%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$67.2£50.4
$77.0₱4,846
-12.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137£103
$57.2₱3,601
139.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$693£520
$500₱31.5K
38.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$555£417
$309₱19.4K
79.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,195£897
$1,078₱67.9K
10.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,081£811
$615₱38.7K
75.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,006£3,756
$2,886₱181.7K
73.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,895£2,922
$1,917₱120.7K
103.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,407£1,806
$346₱21.8K
595.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.07
7.2
-29.58%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Perth: 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.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$652 29.9%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 75.2%$490
🏠Accommodation & Living
Perth
$555 25.5%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 44.4%$247
🍽Eating Out
Perth
$346 15.9%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 74.5%$257
🛒Groceries & Markets
Perth
$270 12.4%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 23.8%$64
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$152 7%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 38.2%$58
🚌Getting Around
Perth
$129 5.9%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 87.9%$113
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$74 3.4%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 40.8%$30
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$665 15.8%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 73.6%$489
🏠Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.1K 25.7%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 43.1%$466
🍽Eating Out
Perth
$1.1K 26.2%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 73.6%$813
🛒Groceries & Markets
Perth
$613 14.6%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 21.3%$130
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$338 8%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 38.2%$129
🚌Getting Around
Perth
$264 6.3%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 88%$232
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$147 * 3.5%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 36.3%$53
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 $693 in Perth and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Perth pays 596% 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: $81.0 in Perth vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 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
Perth vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Perth?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Perth or Cebu?
Average pay runs 596% higher in Perth, 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 Perth and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $693 in Perth 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 Perth and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,177 per month in Perth versus $918 in Cebu – a 137% 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 671% less than in Perth. 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 Perth or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,177 in Perth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Perth or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Perth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Perth or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Perth 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 137% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.