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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Piraeus and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,502 in Piraeus, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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 Piraeus and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,502 in Piraeus versus $934 in Cebu.
Piraeus $1,502
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Piraeus versus $1,415 in Cebu.
Piraeus $2,304
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,107 in Piraeus versus $1,896 in Cebu.
Piraeus $3,107
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in Piraeus is roughly 61% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Piraeus is 12% above, Cebu is 30% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60€14.82
$3.03₱190
447.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.3€49.33
$23.48₱1,473
135.43%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.16€9.07
$4.09₱256
148.41%
Cappuccino
$3.71€3.31
$2.52₱158
47.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49€1.33
$1.54₱96.9
-3.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54€0.48
$0.49₱30.98
10.20%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.65€5.04
$1.79₱112
215.64%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76€5.14
$2.26₱142
154.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.81€1.61
$1.95₱122
-7.18%
White Bread(500g)
$1.08€0.97
$1.43₱89.7
-24.48%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.68€2.39
$1.02₱63.8
162.75%
Eggs
$3.70€3.30
$2.06₱129
79.61%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.80€12.32
$9.81₱615
40.67%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.78€8.72
$4.61₱289
112.15%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.42€11.98
$7.70₱483
74.29%
Apples(1kg)
$2.26€2.02
$3.31₱207
-31.72%
Banana(1kg)
$2.23€1.99
$1.45₱90.9
53.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.20€1.07
$2.36₱148
-49.15%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.78€1.59
$1.54₱96.4
15.58%
Potato(1kg)
$1.17€1.04
$2.36₱148
-50.42%
Onion(1kg)
$0.97€0.87
$1.99₱125
-51.26%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.94€0.84
$1.15₱72.1
-18.26%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99€0.88
$0.67₱42.15
47.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.93€4.40
$3.00₱188
64.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.13€8.15
$6.35₱398
43.78%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.87
$1.31₱81.9
59.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05€3.61
$1.73₱108
134.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.31€1.17
$0.25₱15.78
424.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$33.57€29.96
$12.65₱793
165.38%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.51€4.03
$0.74₱46.32
509.46%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.26€2.02
$0.21₱13.11
976.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$27.77€24.78
$4.33₱271
541.34%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.09€1.87
$1.33₱83.5
57.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K€27.4K
$21.8K₱1.4M
41.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K€23.0K
$19.4K₱1.2M
32.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$209€187
$121₱7,563
73.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.01€20.53
$14.45₱907
59.24%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.71€28.30
$28.29₱1,774
12.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$48.39€43.18
$32.68₱2,050
48.07%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.46€35.22
$6.39₱401
517.53%
Cinema Ticket
$10.23€9.13
$5.46₱342
87.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$393€350
$273₱17.1K
43.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
-
$8,156₱511.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.3€67.2
$49.57₱3,109
51.83%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.75€35.47
$24.87₱1,560
59.83%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$126€112
$76.6₱4,804
63.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118€106
$59.3₱3,717
99.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$551€491
$506₱31.7K
8.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$422€377
$309₱19.4K
36.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,033€921
$1,052₱66.0K
-1.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$771€688
$619₱38.8K
24.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,467€3,094
$2,915₱182.9K
18.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,655€2,369
$1,867₱117.1K
42.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Piraeus
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,057€943
$341₱21.4K
209.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.83
7.2
-32.92%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Piraeus: 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
Piraeus
$422 28%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 26.7%$113
🛒Groceries & Markets
Piraeus
$281 18.7%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↓ 25.2%$71
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piraeus
$264 17.5%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 38.2%$101
🍽Eating Out
Piraeus
$256 17%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 65.4%$167
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Piraeus
$162 10.7%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 41.4%$67
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Piraeus
$69 4.6%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 36.7%$25
🚌Getting Around
Piraeus
$55 3.6%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 71.7%$39
🏠Accommodation & Living
Piraeus
$771 24.5%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↓ 19.7%$152
🛒Groceries & Markets
Piraeus
$651 20.7%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↓ 24.4%$159
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piraeus
$287 9.1%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 38.1%$109
🍽Eating Out
Piraeus
$795 25.2%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 63.7%$507
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Piraeus
$359 11.4%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 41.4%$149
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Piraeus
$177 5.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 47.2%$84
🚌Getting Around
Piraeus
$112 3.6%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 71.9%$80
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Piraeus and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Piraeus 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: $55.0 in Piraeus vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 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
Piraeus vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Piraeus?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Piraeus or Cebu?
Average pay runs 210% higher in Piraeus, 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 Piraeus and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $551 in Piraeus 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 Piraeus and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,502 per month in Piraeus versus $934 in Cebu – a 61% 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 165% less than in Piraeus. 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 Piraeus or in Cebu?
At $934 in Cebu versus $1,502 in Piraeus, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Piraeus. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Piraeus or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Piraeus, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Piraeus or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Piraeus 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 61% less than in Piraeus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.