Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, Philippines and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $614 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.

29

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$614

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $614 in Santa Rosa versus $934 in Cebu.

Santa Rosa $614
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $873 in Santa Rosa versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Santa Rosa $873
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,131 in Santa Rosa versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Santa Rosa $1,131
Cebu $1,913

Living in Santa Rosa costs roughly 34% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 ₱158

$3.79 ₱243

-34.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.32 ₱1,044

$23.33 ₱1,493

-30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱177

$3.94 ₱252

-29.95%

Cappuccino

$1.12 ₱71.4

$2.54 ₱163

-55.91%

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

$0.36 ₱22.79

$1.57 ₱100

-77.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.47 ₱29.87

-53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$1.77 ₱113

-43.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱80.8

$2.22 ₱142

-43.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱102

$1.90 ₱121

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.7

$1.36 ₱87.3

-15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.7

$0.94 ₱59.9

5.32%

Eggs

$1.53 ₱97.9

$1.99 ₱127

-23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 ₱326

$9.70 ₱621

-47.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ₱219

$4.32 ₱276

-20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 ₱496

$7.51 ₱481

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₱140

$3.31 ₱212

-34.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.3

$1.37 ₱87.6

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱146

$2.34 ₱150

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱64.1

$1.49 ₱95.5

-32.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 ₱109

$2.30 ₱147

-25.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₱111

$1.87 ₱120

-7.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₱41.04

$1.10 ₱70.4

-41.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.42

$0.63 ₱40.42

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$2.86 ₱183

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 ₱560

$6.08 ₱389

43.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱61.1

$1.27 ₱81.6

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$1.72 ₱110

18.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.30

$0.22 ₱14.01

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.39 ₱857

$12.34 ₱790

8.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$0.74 ₱47.60

9.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.38

$0.22 ₱14.10

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱123

$4.28 ₱274

-55.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₱65.3

$1.31 ₱83.8

-22.14%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.23%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.58%

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

$62.5 ₱3,996

$118 ₱7,577

-47.26%

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

$6.40 ₱409

$15.76 ₱1,009

-59.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 ₱1,498

$28.33 ₱1,813

-17.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.17 ₱1,994

$32.94 ₱2,108

-5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 ₱383

$6.49 ₱415

-7.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱330

$5.45 ₱349

-5.32%

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

$132 ₱8,417

$276 ₱17.6K

-52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,549 ₱355.1K

$7,789 ₱498.4K

-28.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.17 ₱1,803

$48.18 ₱3,083

-41.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,235

$24.47 ₱1,566

-21.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,576

$75.3 ₱4,817

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 ₱3,523

$58.0 ₱3,713

-5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.3K

$477 ₱30.5K

-46.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.8K

$322 ₱20.6K

-47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₱31.6K

$963 ₱61.6K

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₱10.8K

$626 ₱40.0K

-73.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 ₱157.2K

$4,551 ₱291.2K

-46.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,162 ₱74.4K

$3,028 ₱193.8K

-61.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$140 ₱8,946

$333 ₱21.3K

-58.07%

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 Rosa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa

$168 27.4%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 91.1% $153

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa

$166 27.1%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 22.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa

$92 15%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 76.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa

$78 12.8%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 18.3% $14

Eating Out

Santa Rosa

$51 8.3%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 83.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa

$41 6.8%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 5.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Santa Rosa

$16 2.6%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 7.2% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Santa Rosa and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Santa Rosa vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $204 per month, with Santa Rosa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

Same time as Santa Rosa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

414,812

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Rosa Cebu 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Rosa
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 Rosa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 58% lower in Santa Rosa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $255 in Santa Rosa versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $614 per month in Santa Rosa versus $934 in Cebu – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 8% less than in Santa Rosa. 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 Santa Rosa 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.

Safety-wise, Santa Rosa 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.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Rosa wins on affordability, Cebu on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.