For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,242 in Pisa, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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 Pisa and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Pisa versus $934 in Cebu.
Pisa $2,242
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,415 in Pisa versus $1,415 in Cebu.
Pisa $3,415
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,588 in Pisa versus $1,896 in Cebu.
Pisa $4,588
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in Pisa is roughly 140% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Pisa is 67% above, Cebu is 30% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.85€17.71
$3.03₱190
555.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.1€71.5
$23.48₱1,473
241.23%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.42€10.19
$4.09₱256
179.22%
Cappuccino
$2.02€1.80
$2.52₱158
-19.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45€3.08
$1.54₱96.9
124.03%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48€1.32
$0.49₱30.98
202.04%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.64€5.92
$1.79₱112
270.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56€4.07
$2.26₱142
101.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.74€1.55
$1.95₱122
-10.77%
White Bread(500g)
$2.10€1.87
$1.43₱89.7
46.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.20€2.86
$1.02₱63.8
213.73%
Eggs
$5.42€4.84
$2.06₱129
163.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$27.52€24.56
$9.81₱615
180.53%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$16.29€14.53
$4.61₱289
253.36%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$24.99€22.30
$7.70₱483
224.55%
Apples(1kg)
$2.95€2.63
$3.31₱207
-10.88%
Banana(1kg)
$2.21€1.97
$1.45₱90.9
52.41%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.32€2.96
$2.36₱148
40.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.35€2.99
$1.54₱96.4
117.53%
Potato(1kg)
$3.09€2.75
$2.36₱148
30.93%
Onion(1kg)
$2.07€1.85
$1.99₱125
4.02%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.80€1.61
$1.15₱72.1
56.52%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82€0.74
$0.67₱42.15
22.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$8.04€7.18
$3.00₱188
168.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.25€7.36
$6.35₱398
29.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.54€2.27
$1.31₱81.9
93.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.12€3.68
$1.73₱108
138.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.25€2.01
$0.25₱15.78
800.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.19€39.43
$12.65₱793
249.33%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.44€4.86
$0.74₱46.32
635.14%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.26€2.01
$0.21₱13.11
976.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$11.97€10.68
$4.33₱271
176.44%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.12€1.89
$1.33₱83.5
59.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K€32.2K
$21.8K₱1.4M
65.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.1K€32.2K
$19.4K₱1.2M
85.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$340€303
$121₱7,563
181.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.29€10.97
$14.45₱907
-14.95%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.86€37.36
$28.29₱1,774
47.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$48.41€43.20
$32.68₱2,050
48.13%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.56€21.92
$6.39₱401
284.35%
Cinema Ticket
$10.67€9.53
$5.46₱342
95.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$635€567
$273₱17.1K
132.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,730€7,791
$8,156₱511.5K
7.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€90.8
$49.57₱3,109
105.25%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.1€67.0
$24.87₱1,560
201.97%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.5€77.2
$76.6₱4,804
12.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$197€176
$59.3₱3,717
232.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,036€925
$506₱31.7K
104.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$809€722
$309₱19.4K
161.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,715€1,531
$1,052₱66.0K
63.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,321€1,178
$619₱38.8K
113.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,432€3,063
$2,915₱182.9K
17.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,874€2,565
$1,867₱117.1K
53.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pisa
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,720€1,535
$341₱21.4K
404.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.7
7.2
-48.61%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Pisa: October 3, 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
Pisa
$809 35.7%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 61.8%$500
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pisa
$438 19.3%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↓ 51.9%$227
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisa
$394 17.4%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 58.6%$231
🍽Eating Out
Pisa
$279 12.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 68.4%$191
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pisa
$207 9.1%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 54.3%$112
🚌Getting Around
Pisa
$70 3.1%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 77.9%$54
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pisa
$70 3.1%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 37.5%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pisa
$1.3K 29.4%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↓ 53.1%$702
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pisa
$1K 23%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↓ 52.4%$543
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pisa
$406 9%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 56.3%$229
🍽Eating Out
Pisa
$964 21.5%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 70.1%$676
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pisa
$460 10.2%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 54.3%$250
🚌Getting Around
Pisa
$144 3.2%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 78.3%$113
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pisa
$164 3.7%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 43%$71
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,036 in Pisa and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Pisa pays 404% 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: $80.0 in Pisa vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 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
Pisa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Pisa?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Pisa or Cebu?
Average pay runs 404% higher in Pisa, 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 Pisa and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,036 in Pisa 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 Pisa and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,242 per month in Pisa versus $934 in Cebu – a 140% 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 249% less than in Pisa. 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 Pisa or in Cebu?
At $934 in Cebu versus $2,242 in Pisa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Pisa. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Pisa or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pisa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Pisa or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Pisa 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 140% less than in Pisa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.