Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roxas and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Roxas: $589 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Roxas
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Roxas Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Roxas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$589

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $589 in Roxas versus $915 in Cebu.

Roxas $589
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $922 in Roxas versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Roxas $922
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,255 in Roxas versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Roxas $1,255
Cebu $1,921

Living in Roxas costs roughly 36% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roxas 57% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.83 ₱178

$3.05 ₱192

-7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 ₱1,205

$24.00 ₱1,511

-20.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.45 ₱154

$3.99 ₱251

-38.60%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₱118

$2.50 ₱157

-25.20%

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

$0.46 ₱28.79

$1.54 ₱97.1

-70.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ₱11.35

$0.50 ₱31.37

-64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ₱66.2

$1.78 ₱112

-41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₱111

$2.17 ₱136

-18.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$2.00 ₱126

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 ₱57.2

$1.37 ₱86.2

-33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱52.8

$1.03 ₱64.9

-18.45%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱124

$2.03 ₱128

-2.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.07 ₱382

$10.20 ₱642

-40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ₱249

$4.45 ₱280

-11.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.17 ₱388

$7.67 ₱483

-19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$3.31 ₱208

-50.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.2

$1.46 ₱91.8

-32.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.32 ₱146

-46.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 ₱52.7

$1.49 ₱94.0

-43.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.6

$2.34 ₱147

-59.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 ₱61.8

$1.94 ₱122

-49.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₱88.8

$1.16 ₱73.0

21.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₱49.10

$0.68 ₱42.89

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 ₱138

$2.99 ₱188

-26.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 ₱413

$6.24 ₱393

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$1.23 ₱77.3

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$1.73 ₱109

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱16.03

$0.23 ₱14.36

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 ₱629

$12.34 ₱777

-19.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.7

$0.79 ₱49.96

6.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ₱22.70

$0.22 ₱13.86

63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ₱153

$4.54 ₱286

-46.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₱62.8

$1.32 ₱82.9

-24.24%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

2.26%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

0.15%

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

$64.3 ₱4,046

$119 ₱7,464

-45.80%

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

$8.08 ₱509

$14.22 ₱896

-43.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.45 ₱1,351

$27.47 ₱1,730

-21.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.96 ₱1,823

$32.31 ₱2,034

-10.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.49 ₱283

$6.50 ₱409

-30.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱299

$5.40 ₱340

-12.04%

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

$32.36 ₱2,037

$276 ₱17.4K

-88.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,551 ₱538.4K

$7,866 ₱495.3K

8.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.46 ₱2,044

$49.37 ₱3,108

-34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.18 ₱1,207

$24.58 ₱1,548

-21.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 ₱3,525

$76.6 ₱4,825

-26.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.95 ₱1,508

$58.9 ₱3,706

-59.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱17.0K

$503 ₱31.7K

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 ₱10.3K

$305 ₱19.2K

-46.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₱36.3K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

-46.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ₱20.7K

$632 ₱39.8K

-47.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,409 ₱151.7K

$2,870 ₱180.7K

-16.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₱62.1K

$1,877 ₱118.2K

-47.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$575 ₱36.2K

$336 ₱21.1K

71.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.33

7.2

1.81%

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

Last update for Roxas: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roxas

$164 27.8%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 86.2% $141

Groceries & Markets

Roxas

$157 26.6%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 33.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roxas

$94 15.9%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 70.8% $66

Eating Out

Roxas

$64 10.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 37.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Roxas

$59 10.1%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 59.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Roxas

$38 6.5%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 12.1% $4.6

Getting Around

Roxas

$14 2.3%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 11.1% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Roxas and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roxas pays 71% 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 Roxas vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $210 per month, with Roxas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Roxas

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

Same time as Roxas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

167,003

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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Roxas Cebu 190 km

From you

Roxas
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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

Roxas vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roxas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Roxas, 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: $271 in Roxas versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $589 per month in Roxas versus $915 in Cebu – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roxas runs roughly 24% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Roxas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Roxas 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, Roxas 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 Roxas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.