Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,577 in Pula, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Pula
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,577
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pula and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pula and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,577 in Pula versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Pula $1,577
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,504 in Pula versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Pula $2,504
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,432 in Pula versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Pula $3,432
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Pula is roughly 72% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pula is 17% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.57 €13.01
$3.09 ₱194
371.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.9
$24.22 ₱1,522
172.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.89 €7.94
$3.92 ₱246
126.79%
Cappuccino
$2.48 €2.22
$2.51 ₱157
-1.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 €2.66
$1.59 ₱100
87.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$0.53 ₱33.37
298.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.29 €2.94
$1.78 ₱112
84.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.88
$2.17 ₱136
100.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$1.92 ₱121
-38.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.36 ₱85.2
31.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.20 €2.85
$1.01 ₱63.4
216.83%
Eggs
$3.90 €3.48
$2.03 ₱127
92.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.68 €9.54
$9.86 ₱620
8.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.67 €9.53
$4.39 ₱276
143.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.47 €16.50
$7.60 ₱478
143.03%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.30 ₱207
-42.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$1.39 ₱87.6
35.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$2.33 ₱147
-9.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 €2.28
$1.50 ₱94.1
70.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.36 ₱148
-44.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.90 ₱119
-31.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.19 ₱74.8
10.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$0.63 ₱39.63
92.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.54 €4.95
$3.00 ₱189
84.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.80 €6.96
$6.03 ₱379
29.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.23 ₱77.5
53.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.13
$1.75 ₱110
36.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Pula
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.95
$0.25 ₱15.83
772.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.87 €30.24
$12.64 ₱794
167.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.38 €3.01
$0.77 ₱48.52
338.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.18 €1.94
$0.23 ₱14.50
847.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.65 €19.33
$4.46 ₱280
385.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.31 ₱82.6
35.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K €23.3K
$21.2K ₱1.3M
22.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K €24.0K
$19.1K ₱1.2M
40.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 €139
$120 ₱7,554
29.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.06 €19.70
$14.00 ₱880
57.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.22 €35.92
$27.54 ₱1,731
46.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.30 €44.03
$32.33 ₱2,031
52.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.54 €33.53
$6.65 ₱418
464.51%
Cinema Ticket
$10.91 €9.74
$5.65 ₱355
93.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 €212
$275 ₱17.3K
-13.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,769 €2,473
$7,918 ₱497.5K
-65.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$115 €102
$49.33 ₱3,100
132.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.58 €31.77
$25.24 ₱1,586
40.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$144 €128
$77.0 ₱4,836
86.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €118
$57.2 ₱3,594
131.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pula
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$667 €596
$500 ₱31.4K
33.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$523 €467
$309 ₱19.4K
69.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,302 €1,163
$1,078 ₱67.7K
20.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 €896
$615 ₱38.7K
63.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,316 €3,854
$2,886 ₱181.3K
49.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,539 €3,160
$1,917 ₱120.4K
84.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pula
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,520 €1,357
$346 ₱21.7K
339.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.54
7.2
-50.83%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pula
$523
Cebu
$309 41% $214
Groceries & Markets
Pula
$297
Cebu
$206 30.7% $91
Eating Out
Pula
$219
Cebu
$88 59.6% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
$218
Cebu
$162 25.7% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Pula
$192
Cebu
$94 51.1% $98
Sport & Entertainment
Pula
$71
Cebu
$44 38.7% $28
Getting Around
Pula
$57
Cebu
$16 72.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $667 in Pula and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pula pays 339% 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: $66.0 in Pula vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Pula
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
13:06 1:06 PM
19:06 7:06 PM
6 h ahead of Pula
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,220
964,169
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 62.83 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.36 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pula Cebu 10,730 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Pula
  • Cebu

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
Pula vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Pula?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Pula or Cebu?
Average pay runs 339% higher in Pula, 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 Pula and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $667 in Pula 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 Pula and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,577 per month in Pula versus $918 in Cebu – a 72% 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 168% less than in Pula. 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 Pula or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,577 in Pula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Pula. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Pula or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pula, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Pula or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Pula 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 72% less than in Pula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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