Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,920 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,920

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,920 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $934 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife $1,920
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,849 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife $2,849
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife $3,777
Cebu $1,896

Living in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is roughly 106% 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 Tenerife is 43% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 €17.88

$3.03 ₱191

562.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 €55.2

$23.48 ₱1,476

163.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 €10.17

$4.09 ₱257

178.73%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.78

$2.52 ₱158

-20.63%

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

$1.90 €1.69

$1.54 ₱97.2

23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$0.49 ₱31.06

165.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 €2.56

$1.79 ₱113

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.26 ₱142

46.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.95 ₱122

-29.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.43 ₱89.9

72.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.02 ₱64.0

55.88%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.73

$2.06 ₱129

103.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.69 €17.55

$9.81 ₱617

100.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 €8.83

$4.61 ₱290

114.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 €15.98

$7.70 ₱484

132.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$3.31 ₱208

-16.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.15

$1.45 ₱91.2

66.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.36 ₱148

-5.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.54 ₱96.6

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.36 ₱148

-9.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.99 ₱125

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.51

$1.15 ₱72.3

46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.67 ₱42.26

35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.09

$3.00 ₱189

90.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 €6.84

$6.35 ₱399

20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.31 ₱82.1

28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.73 ₱109

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.25 ₱15.82

452.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 €37.67

$12.65 ₱796

233.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.66

$0.74 ₱46.44

455.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.21 ₱13.15

723.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.93 €15.09

$4.33 ₱272

290.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.33 ₱83.7

30.83%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

59.73%

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

$29.4K €26.2K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

51.78%

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

$127 €113

$121 ₱7,583

5.19%

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

$23.02 €20.52

$14.45 ₱909

59.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.10 €31.29

$28.29 ₱1,779

24.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 €48.63

$32.68 ₱2,055

66.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 €10.27

$6.39 ₱402

80.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 €9.00

$5.46 ₱343

84.80%

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

$405 €361

$273 ₱17.2K

48.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,015 €4,472

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-38.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €84.1

$49.57 ₱3,117

90.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.88 €37.34

$24.87 ₱1,564

68.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 €81.9

$76.6 ₱4,817

20.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.2

$59.3 ₱3,727

87.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 €1,015

$506 ₱31.8K

125.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 €786

$309 ₱19.5K

185.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 €1,521

$1,052 ₱66.1K

62.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,119

$619 ₱38.9K

102.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,834 €3,418

$2,915 ₱183.4K

31.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 €1,934

$1,867 ₱117.4K

16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,864 €1,662

$341 ₱21.5K

446.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

7.2

-50.56%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$882 45.6%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 64.9% $573

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$329 17%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 36.1% $119

Eating Out

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$252 13%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 65% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$185 9.6%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 11.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$153 7.9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 38% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$75 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 41.7% $31

Getting Around

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

$61 3.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 74.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,138 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 446% 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: $62.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

11:56 11:56 AM

7 h ahead of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

209,395

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Santa Cruz de Tenerife Cebu 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 446% higher in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 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: $1,138 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,920 per month in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $934 in Cebu – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 234% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,920 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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 Tenerife, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 106% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.