Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz de La Palma and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,622 in Santa Cruz de La Palma, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz de La Palma
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Santa Cruz de La Palma Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Santa Cruz de La Palma

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,622

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 Santa Cruz de La Palma and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,622 in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $915 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz de La Palma $1,622
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,411 in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz de La Palma $2,411
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,200 in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz de La Palma $3,200
Cebu $1,921

Living in Santa Cruz de La Palma is roughly 77% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz de La Palma is 20% above, Cebu is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 €14.75

$3.05 ₱192

443.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €49.96

$24.00 ₱1,511

134.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 €9.78

$3.99 ₱251

175.44%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.07

$2.50 ₱157

-7.20%

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

$2.59 €2.31

$1.54 ₱97.1

68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.58

$0.50 ₱31.37

256.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 €2.96

$1.78 ₱112

87.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.42

$2.17 ₱136

77.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$2.00 ₱126

-42.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.37 ₱86.2

8.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.37

$1.03 ₱64.9

50.49%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.12

$2.03 ₱128

72.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 €10.33

$10.20 ₱642

13.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €7.04

$4.45 ₱280

77.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 €15.34

$7.67 ₱483

124.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.44

$3.31 ₱208

-16.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.46 ₱91.8

44.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.32 ₱146

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$1.49 ₱94.0

61.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.34 ₱147

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.94 ₱122

10.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.16 ₱73.0

22.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.63

$0.68 ₱42.89

2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €5.12

$2.99 ₱188

92.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.38

$6.24 ₱393

-3.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.23 ₱77.3

-9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.08

$1.73 ₱109

35.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.47

$0.23 ₱14.36

621.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.48 €29.78

$12.34 ₱777

171.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$0.79 ₱49.96

405.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.12

$0.22 ₱13.86

468.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.77 €21.15

$4.54 ₱286

423.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.32 ₱82.9

32.58%

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

$36.8K €32.8K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

75.42%

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

$27.1K €24.1K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

39.82%

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

$139 €124

$119 ₱7,464

17.35%

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

$18.28 €16.26

$14.22 ₱896

28.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.14 €24.14

$27.47 ₱1,730

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 €42.39

$32.31 ₱2,034

47.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 €13.51

$6.50 ₱409

133.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 €7.94

$5.40 ₱340

65.37%

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

$408 €363

$276 ₱17.4K

47.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,540 €7,596

$7,866 ₱495.3K

8.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €78.4

$49.37 ₱3,108

78.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.25 €36.69

$24.58 ₱1,548

67.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$76.6 ₱4,825

10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €97.7

$58.9 ₱3,706

86.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 €804

$503 ₱31.7K

79.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 €600

$305 ₱19.2K

121.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 €1,195

$1,075 ₱67.7K

24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 €914

$632 ₱39.8K

62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,343 €2,974

$2,870 ₱180.7K

16.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 €1,965

$1,877 ₱118.2K

17.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,360 €1,210

$336 ₱21.1K

304.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.3

7.2

-54.17%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz de La Palma: 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

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$674 41.6%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 54.8% $370

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$267 16.4%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 21.4% $57

Eating Out

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$235 14.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 62.7% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$185 11.4%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 13.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$146 9%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 35.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$66 4%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 34.2% $22

Getting Around

Santa Cruz de La Palma

$50 3.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 69.9% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $904 in Santa Cruz de La Palma and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de La Palma pays 305% 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: $56.0 in Santa Cruz de La Palma vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Santa Cruz de La Palma

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

06:14 6:14 AM

7 h ahead of Santa Cruz de La Palma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,441

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Santa Cruz de La Palma Cebu 14,040 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz de La Palma
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

Santa Cruz de La Palma vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 305% higher in Santa Cruz de La Palma, 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: $904 in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,622 per month in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $915 in Cebu – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 171% less than in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,622 in Santa Cruz de La Palma, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz de La Palma. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.