For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,714 in Rhodes, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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 Rhodes and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,714 in Rhodes versus $918 in Cebu.
Rhodes $1,714
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Rhodes versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Rhodes $2,673
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,632 in Rhodes versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Rhodes $3,632
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Rhodes is roughly 87% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Rhodes is 27% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.38€16.35
$3.09₱194
494.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.9€59.5
$24.22₱1,525
176.05%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.50€8.45
$3.92₱247
142.35%
Cappuccino
$4.40€3.92
$2.51₱158
75.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53€2.25
$1.59₱100
59.12%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93€0.82
$0.53₱33.43
75.47%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.36€4.77
$1.78₱112
201.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86€3.44
$2.17₱137
77.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.16€1.92
$1.92₱121
12.50%
White Bread(500g)
$1.80€1.60
$1.36₱85.4
32.35%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$5.14€4.57
$1.01₱63.5
408.91%
Eggs
$6.40€5.69
$2.03₱128
215.27%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$16.31€14.51
$9.86₱621
65.42%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.35€10.10
$4.39₱277
158.54%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.09€16.09
$7.60₱479
138.03%
Apples(1kg)
$2.19€1.94
$3.30₱208
-33.64%
Banana(1kg)
$2.15€1.91
$1.39₱87.8
54.68%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.54€1.37
$2.33₱147
-33.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.43€2.17
$1.50₱94.3
62.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.71€1.52
$2.36₱149
-27.54%
Onion(1kg)
$1.87€1.66
$1.90₱119
-1.58%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.34€1.19
$1.19₱74.9
12.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.64
$0.63₱39.71
14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08€4.52
$3.00₱189
69.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.90€7.03
$6.03₱379
31.01%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.62€2.33
$1.23₱77.7
113.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.49
$1.75₱110
-4.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.48€2.21
$0.25₱15.86
892.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$73.7€65.6
$12.64₱796
483.39%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.40€3.03
$0.77₱48.62
341.56%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.44€1.28
$0.23₱14.53
526.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$10.98€9.77
$4.46₱281
146.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.13€1.89
$1.31₱82.8
62.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K€25.3K
$21.2K₱1.3M
33.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K€23.2K
$19.1K₱1.2M
36.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$221€197
$120₱7,569
84.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.02€23.15
$14.00₱882
85.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.16€25.94
$27.54₱1,734
5.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.8€54.1
$32.33₱2,035
88.15%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.00€34.69
$6.65₱419
486.47%
Cinema Ticket
$8.76€7.79
$5.65₱356
55.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$476€423
$275₱17.3K
72.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,017€8,021
$7,918₱498.5K
13.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$152€135
$49.33₱3,106
208.09%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.70€29.98
$25.24₱1,589
33.52%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113€100
$77.0₱4,846
46.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161€143
$57.2₱3,601
181.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$567€504
$500₱31.5K
13.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$438€390
$309₱19.4K
41.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,020€907
$1,078₱67.9K
-5.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$777€692
$615₱38.7K
26.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,673€3,267
$2,886₱181.7K
27.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,722€1,532
$1,917₱120.7K
-10.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rhodes
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,344€1,196
$346₱21.8K
288.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.53
7.2
-37.08%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Rhodes: October 13, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 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
Rhodes
$438 25.6%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 29.5%$129
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rhodes
$343 20%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 40%$137
🍽Eating Out
Rhodes
$277 16.2%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 68.1%$188
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rhodes
$277 16.1%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 41.5%$115
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rhodes
$207 12.1%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 54.6%$113
🚌Getting Around
Rhodes
$94 5.5%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 83.5%$79
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rhodes
$78 4.6%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 44.3%$35
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rhodes
$777 21.4%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 20.9%$162
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rhodes
$805 22.2%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 40.1%$323
🍽Eating Out
Rhodes
$897 24.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 67.5%$605
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rhodes
$303 8.3%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 41.9%$127
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rhodes
$459 12.7%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 54.6%$251
🚌Getting Around
Rhodes
$193 5.3%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 83.6%$162
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rhodes
$196 5.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 52%$102
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $567 in Rhodes and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Rhodes pays 289% 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: $67.0 in Rhodes vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $206 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
Rhodes vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Rhodes?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Rhodes or Cebu?
Average pay runs 289% higher in Rhodes, 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 Rhodes and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $567 in Rhodes 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 Rhodes and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,714 per month in Rhodes versus $918 in Cebu – a 87% 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 483% less than in Rhodes. 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 Rhodes or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,714 in Rhodes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Rhodes. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Rhodes or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rhodes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Rhodes or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Rhodes 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 87% less than in Rhodes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.