For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,709 in Rouen, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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 Rouen and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,709 in Rouen versus $918 in Cebu.
Rouen $1,709
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Rouen versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Rouen $2,608
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,507 in Rouen versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Rouen $3,507
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Rouen is roughly 86% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Rouen is 27% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.76€14.94
$3.09₱195
442.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0€58.9
$24.22₱1,526
172.50%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.29€10.07
$3.92₱247
188.01%
Cappuccino
$3.26€2.91
$2.51₱158
29.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61€3.22
$1.59₱100
127.04%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12€2.78
$0.53₱33.47
488.68%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.17€6.39
$1.78₱112
302.81%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59€5.88
$2.17₱137
203.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.47€1.31
$1.92₱121
-23.44%
White Bread(500g)
$1.12€1.00
$1.36₱85.5
-17.65%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.12€1.89
$1.01₱63.6
109.90%
Eggs
$3.65€3.26
$2.03₱128
79.80%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.91€15.97
$9.86₱622
81.64%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.33€8.32
$4.39₱277
112.53%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$26.54€23.67
$7.60₱479
249.21%
Apples(1kg)
$2.51€2.24
$3.30₱208
-23.94%
Banana(1kg)
$2.96€2.64
$1.39₱87.9
112.95%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.43€2.17
$2.33₱147
4.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.20€2.86
$1.50₱94.4
113.33%
Potato(1kg)
$2.02€1.80
$2.36₱149
-14.41%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48€1.32
$1.90₱119
-22.11%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.27€1.13
$1.19₱75.0
6.72%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44€0.39
$0.63₱39.75
-30.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.30€12.75
$3.00₱189
376.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.81€6.07
$6.03₱380
12.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56€2.28
$1.23₱77.7
108.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16€2.82
$1.75₱110
80.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.05€1.83
$0.25₱15.87
720.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$48.42€43.17
$12.64₱796
283.07%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$8.70€7.76
$0.77₱48.66
1029.87%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.25€1.12
$0.23₱14.54
443.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.20€29.60
$4.46₱281
644.39%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.07€1.84
$1.31₱82.9
58.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K€31.1K
$21.2K₱1.3M
64.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K€31.8K
$19.1K₱1.2M
86.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$210€187
$120₱7,577
74.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.13€20.62
$14.00₱883
65.21%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.52€35.23
$27.54₱1,736
43.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.66€38.04
$32.33₱2,037
31.95%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.77€14.95
$6.65₱419
152.18%
Cinema Ticket
$14.56€12.98
$5.65₱356
157.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$883€788
$275₱17.3K
220.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,874€8,804
$7,918₱499.0K
24.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.3€75.1
$49.33₱3,109
70.79%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$25.24₱1,591
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.7€84.4
$77.0₱4,850
23.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€94.4
$57.2₱3,605
85.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$674€601
$500₱31.5K
34.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$545€486
$309₱19.5K
76.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,233€1,100
$1,078₱67.9K
14.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$924€824
$615₱38.8K
50.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,871€3,451
$2,886₱181.9K
34.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,327€2,075
$1,917₱120.8K
21.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rouen
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,530€2,255
$346₱21.8K
631.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.81
7.2
-47.08%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Rouen: October 12, 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
Rouen
$545 31.9%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 43.3%$236
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rouen
$337 19.7%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 38.9%$131
🍽Eating Out
Rouen
$283 16.6%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 68.8%$195
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
$272 15.9%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 40.6%$111
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
$128 * 7.5%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 26.7%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
$72 4.2%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 39.2%$28
🚌Getting Around
Rouen
$72 4.2%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 78.3%$56
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rouen
$924 26.4%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 33.4%$309
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rouen
$804 22.9%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 39.9%$321
🍽Eating Out
Rouen
$890 25.4%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 67.2%$598
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
$296 8.4%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 40.5%$120
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
$285 * 8.1%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 26.7%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
$160 4.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 41.4%$66
🚌Getting Around
Rouen
$147 4.2%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 78.5%$116
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 $674 in Rouen and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Rouen pays 631% 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 Rouen vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 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
Rouen vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Rouen?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Rouen or Cebu?
Average pay runs 631% higher in Rouen, 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 Rouen and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $674 in Rouen 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 Rouen and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,709 per month in Rouen versus $918 in Cebu – a 86% 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 283% less than in Rouen. 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 Rouen or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,709 in Rouen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Rouen. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Rouen or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rouen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Rouen or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Rouen 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 86% less than in Rouen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.