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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,255 in Retford, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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 Retford and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Retford versus $915 in Cebu.
Retford $2,255
Cebu $915
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,343 in Retford versus $1,418 in Cebu.
Retford $3,343
Cebu $1,418
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,432 in Retford versus $1,921 in Cebu.
Retford $4,432
Cebu $1,921
🌍
Living in Retford is roughly 147% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Retford is 66% above, Cebu is 33% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.72£11.04
$3.05₱192
382.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5£49.87
$24.00₱1,511
176.96%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.14£5.36
$3.99₱251
78.95%
Cappuccino
$3.88£2.91
$2.50₱157
55.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75£1.31
$1.54₱97.1
13.64%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78£1.33
$0.50₱31.37
256.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.30£3.22
$1.78₱112
141.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34£3.26
$2.17₱136
100.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.72£1.29
$2.00₱126
-14.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.83£1.38
$1.37₱86.2
33.58%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.64£1.23
$1.03₱64.9
59.22%
Eggs
$4.66£3.50
$2.03₱128
129.56%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.18£8.39
$10.20₱642
9.61%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.16£7.62
$4.45₱280
128.31%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.50£9.38
$7.67₱483
62.97%
Apples(1kg)
$2.09£1.56
$3.31₱208
-36.86%
Banana(1kg)
$1.80£1.35
$1.46₱91.8
23.29%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.76£1.32
$2.32₱146
-24.14%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.74£1.31
$1.49₱94.0
16.78%
Potato(1kg)
$1.48£1.11
$2.34₱147
-36.75%
Onion(1kg)
$1.58£1.19
$1.94₱122
-18.56%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.42£0.31
$1.16₱73.0
-63.79%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56£1.17
$0.68₱42.89
129.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.33£17.50
$2.99₱188
680.27%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.77£5.83
$6.24₱393
24.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70£1.27
$1.23₱77.3
38.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04£1.53
$1.73₱109
17.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Retford
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.65£2.74
$0.23₱14.36
1486.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$108£80.7
$12.34₱777
771.80%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.93£3.70
$0.79₱49.96
524.05%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.91£2.93
$0.22₱13.86
1677.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$28.85£21.64
$4.54₱286
535.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.09£1.57
$1.32₱82.9
58.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.1K£30.1K
$21.0K₱1.3M
91.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.2K£33.2K
$19.4K₱1.2M
127.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$342£257
$119₱7,464
188.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.87£20.91
$14.22₱896
95.99%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.53£34.91
$27.47₱1,730
69.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.7£39.53
$32.31₱2,034
63.08%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.50₱409
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.50£8.62
$5.40₱340
112.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,926£1,445
$276₱17.4K
597.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$23.9K£17.9K
$7,866₱495.3K
203.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.1£63.9
$49.37₱3,108
72.41%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.8£45.59
$24.58₱1,548
147.27%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$109£81.4
$76.6₱4,825
41.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161£121
$58.9₱3,706
173.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Retford
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,398£1,049
$503₱31.7K
177.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$924£693
$305₱19.2K
203.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,099£1,575
$1,075₱67.7K
95.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,675£1,257
$632₱39.8K
164.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,059£3,796
$2,870₱180.7K
76.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,851£2,889
$1,877₱118.2K
105.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Retford
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,711£1,283
$336₱21.1K
409.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.3
7.2
-26.39%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Retford: October 18, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 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
Retford
$924 41%
Cebu
$305 33.3% ↓ 67%$619
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Retford
$416 18.5%
Cebu
$160 17.5% ↓ 61.5%$256
🛒Groceries & Markets
Retford
$276 12.2%
Cebu
$210 22.9% ↓ 24%$66
🍽Eating Out
Retford
$230 10.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 61.9%$142
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Retford
$187 8.3%
Cebu
$94 10.3% ↓ 49.6%$93
🚌Getting Around
Retford
$147 6.5%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 89.7%$132
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Retford
$76 3.4%
Cebu
$43 4.7% ↓ 43%$33
🏠Accommodation & Living
Retford
$1.7K 37.8%
Cebu
$632 32.9% ↓ 62.3%$1K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Retford
$444 10%
Cebu
$174 9.1% ↓ 60.7%$270
🛒Groceries & Markets
Retford
$646 14.6%
Cebu
$491 25.6% ↓ 23.9%$154
🍽Eating Out
Retford
$799 18%
Cebu
$290 15.1% ↓ 63.7%$509
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Retford
$416 9.4%
Cebu
$209 10.9% ↓ 49.6%$206
🚌Getting Around
Retford
$301 6.8%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 89.8%$270
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Retford
$151 * 3.4%
Cebu
$93 4.8% ↓ 38.7%$59
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 $1,398 in Retford and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Retford pays 409% 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 Retford vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 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
Retford vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Retford?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Retford or Cebu?
Average pay runs 409% higher in Retford, 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 Retford and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,398 in Retford versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Retford and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Retford versus $915 in Cebu – a 147% 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 772% less than in Retford. 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 Retford or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $2,255 in Retford, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Retford. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Retford or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Retford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Retford or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Retford 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 147% less than in Retford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.