Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Laguna and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $616 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
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Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$616

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $934 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $616
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $911 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $911
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,206 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,206
Cebu $1,913

Living in Santa Cruz, Laguna costs roughly 34% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz, Laguna 55% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 ₱98.8

$3.79 ₱242

-59.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.73 ₱494

$23.33 ₱1,491

-66.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱178

$3.94 ₱252

-29.19%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱113

$2.54 ₱163

-30.71%

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

$0.37 ₱23.90

$1.57 ₱100

-76.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.42

$0.47 ₱29.82

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.7

$1.77 ₱113

-42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.2

$2.22 ₱142

-59.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₱98.4

$1.90 ₱121

-18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.3

$1.36 ₱87.1

-15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.9

$0.94 ₱59.8

-3.19%

Eggs

$1.52 ₱97.0

$1.99 ₱127

-23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.82 ₱308

$9.70 ₱620

-50.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$4.32 ₱276

-23.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 ₱460

$7.51 ₱480

-4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.7

$3.31 ₱211

-58.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.49 ₱31.52

$1.37 ₱87.5

-64.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₱91.7

$2.34 ₱149

-38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.7

$1.49 ₱95.4

-28.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$2.30 ₱147

-27.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 ₱107

$1.87 ₱120

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱39.25

$1.10 ₱70.3

-44.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.12

$0.63 ₱40.36

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱187

$2.86 ₱183

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 ₱543

$6.08 ₱389

39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.4

$1.27 ₱81.4

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.72 ₱110

19.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.22 ₱13.99

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 ₱735

$12.34 ₱788

-6.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.74

$0.74 ₱47.53

2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.00

$0.22 ₱14.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$4.28 ₱273

-54.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.5

$1.31 ₱83.7

-8.40%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-0.31%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-0.62%

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

$82.8 ₱5,290

$118 ₱7,565

-30.08%

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

$17.51 ₱1,118

$15.76 ₱1,007

11.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 ₱1,443

$28.33 ₱1,810

-20.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.30 ₱1,744

$32.94 ₱2,105

-17.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 ₱285

$6.49 ₱415

-31.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$5.45 ₱348

-7.71%

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

$128 ₱8,194

$276 ₱17.6K

-53.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱677.6K

$7,789 ₱497.7K

36.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.32 ₱1,809

$48.18 ₱3,078

-41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 ₱1,227

$24.47 ₱1,564

-21.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,447

$75.3 ₱4,810

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,431

$58.0 ₱3,707

-7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₱14.0K

$477 ₱30.5K

-54.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$322 ₱20.6K

-50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₱30.7K

$963 ₱61.5K

-50.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₱19.1K

$626 ₱40.0K

-52.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱156.7K

$4,551 ₱290.8K

-46.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 ₱68.9K

$3,028 ₱193.5K

-64.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

7.2

-6.25%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$160 26%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 101% $162

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$153 24.8%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 33.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$123 20%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 32.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$77 12.5%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 20.6% $16

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$51 8.3%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 83.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$37 6.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 17.4% $6.5

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 6.2% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $219 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $8 in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $204 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

Same time as Santa Cruz, Laguna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,574

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Santa Cruz, Laguna Cebu 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, Laguna
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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

Santa Cruz, Laguna vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz, Laguna is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $923 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $1,401 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $219 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $616 per month in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $934 in Cebu – Santa Cruz, Laguna is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Cruz, Laguna runs roughly 7% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.