Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $860 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Quezon City
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Quezon City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Quezon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$860

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quezon City 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 Quezon City and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $860 in Quezon City versus $918 in Cebu.

Quezon City $860
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Quezon City versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Quezon City $1,372
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,885 in Quezon City versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Quezon City $1,885
Cebu $1,900

Living in Quezon City costs roughly 6% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quezon City 36% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ₱282

$3.09 ₱194

44.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.90 ₱1,190

$24.22 ₱1,525

-21.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱179

$3.92 ₱247

-27.55%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ₱175

$2.51 ₱158

11.16%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱47.41

$1.59 ₱100

-52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.78

$0.53 ₱33.43

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ₱91.6

$1.78 ₱112

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ₱178

$2.17 ₱137

30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱106

$1.92 ₱121

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$1.36 ₱85.4

-16.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱53.0

$1.01 ₱63.5

-16.83%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$2.03 ₱128

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 ₱421

$9.86 ₱621

-32.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱267

$4.39 ₱277

-3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 ₱455

$7.60 ₱479

-4.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 ₱250

$3.30 ₱208

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 ₱85.7

$1.39 ₱87.8

-2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 ₱218

$2.33 ₱147

48.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$1.50 ₱94.3

-24.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 ₱148

$2.36 ₱149

-0.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 ₱209

$1.90 ₱119

74.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₱89.7

$1.19 ₱74.9

19.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.2

$0.63 ₱39.71

53.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱178

$3.00 ₱189

-6.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 ₱487

$6.03 ₱379

28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.8

$1.23 ₱77.7

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₱113

$1.75 ₱110

2.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₱22.92

$0.25 ₱15.86

44.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.25 ₱1,212

$12.64 ₱796

52.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.63

$0.77 ₱48.62

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.22

$0.23 ₱14.53

-8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 ₱162

$4.46 ₱281

-42.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱74.6

$1.31 ₱82.8

-9.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.4K ₱1.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

0.97%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-0.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$163 ₱10.2K

$120 ₱7,569

35.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.34 ₱903

$14.00 ₱882

2.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.17 ₱1,522

$27.54 ₱1,734

-12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.36 ₱2,415

$32.33 ₱2,035

18.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.30 ₱207

$6.65 ₱419

-50.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 ₱441

$5.65 ₱356

24.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$71.8 ₱4,522

$275 ₱17.3K

-73.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,491 ₱156.8K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-68.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.65 ₱2,245

$49.33 ₱3,106

-27.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.77 ₱1,433

$25.24 ₱1,589

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₱4,898

$77.0 ₱4,846

1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 ₱4,850

$57.2 ₱3,601

34.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₱19.7K

$500 ₱31.5K

-37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ₱11.8K

$309 ₱19.4K

-39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₱47.0K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ₱33.8K

$615 ₱38.7K

-12.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,370 ₱149.2K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-17.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,425 ₱89.7K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-25.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 ₱27.0K

$346 ₱21.8K

24.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-2.78%

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

Last update for Quezon City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Quezon City

$206 24%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quezon City

$201 23.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 19.6% $39

Accommodation & Living

Quezon City

$187 21.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 65.1% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Quezon City

$96 11.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 2.1% $2

Eating Out

Quezon City

$95 11%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 6.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Quezon City

$52 6.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 16.7% $8.8

Getting Around

Quezon City

$23 2.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 30.9% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 in Quezon City and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quezon City pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Quezon City vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $206 per month, with Quezon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Quezon City

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

Same time as Quezon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,936,116

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quezon City Cebu 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quezon City
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

Quezon City vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quezon City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Quezon City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $312 in Quezon City versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $860 per month in Quezon City versus $918 in Cebu – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 52% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Quezon City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Quezon City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Quezon City 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.

Expats usually find Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.