For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,826 in Sezana, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sezana and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,826 in Sezana versus $915 in Cebu.
Sezana $1,826
Cebu $915
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,555 in Sezana versus $1,418 in Cebu.
Sezana $2,555
Cebu $1,418
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,284 in Sezana versus $1,921 in Cebu.
Sezana $3,284
Cebu $1,921
🌍
Living in Sezana is roughly 100% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Sezana is 35% above, Cebu is 33% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.11€9.89
$3.05₱192
264.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.9€49.75
$24.00₱1,511
133.08%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.91€7.92
$3.99₱251
123.31%
Cappuccino
$3.02€2.68
$2.50₱157
20.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34€2.97
$1.54₱97.1
116.88%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16€1.92
$0.50₱31.37
332.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.49€3.10
$1.78₱112
96.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54€4.04
$2.17₱136
109.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.31€1.16
$2.00₱126
-34.50%
White Bread(500g)
$1.86€1.65
$1.37₱86.2
35.77%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.81€2.50
$1.03₱64.9
172.82%
Eggs
$3.98€3.54
$2.03₱128
96.06%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$18.38€16.35
$10.20₱642
80.20%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.29€8.26
$4.45₱280
108.76%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.21€12.64
$7.67₱483
85.27%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27€2.02
$3.31₱208
-31.42%
Banana(1kg)
$1.87€1.67
$1.46₱91.8
28.08%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.29€2.04
$2.32₱146
-1.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.73€3.32
$1.49₱94.0
150.34%
Potato(1kg)
$1.63€1.45
$2.34₱147
-30.34%
Onion(1kg)
$1.85€1.64
$1.94₱122
-4.64%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.71€1.52
$1.16₱73.0
47.41%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12€1.00
$0.68₱42.89
64.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90€5.25
$2.99₱188
97.32%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.76€6.90
$6.24₱393
24.36%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.21
$1.23₱77.3
10.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54€2.26
$1.73₱109
46.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.55€1.38
$0.23₱14.36
573.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$30.01€26.69
$12.34₱777
143.19%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.64€1.46
$0.79₱49.96
107.59%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.34€1.19
$0.22₱13.86
509.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$27.83€24.75
$4.54₱286
513.00%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.82€1.62
$1.32₱82.9
37.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K€25.8K
$21.0K₱1.3M
37.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K€21.2K
$19.4K₱1.2M
23.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$285€254
$119₱7,464
140.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.65€21.93
$14.22₱896
73.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.39€34.15
$27.47₱1,730
39.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.9€46.15
$32.31₱2,034
60.57%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.50₱409
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.63€6.78
$5.40₱340
41.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$493€438
$276₱17.4K
78.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.3K€10.1K
$7,866₱495.3K
44.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117€104
$49.37₱3,108
136.58%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.90€32.83
$24.58₱1,548
50.12%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$122€108
$76.6₱4,825
59.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144€128
$58.9₱3,706
143.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$812€722
$503₱31.7K
61.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$667€594
$305₱19.2K
119.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,206€1,073
$1,075₱67.7K
12.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$865€770
$632₱39.8K
36.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,051€2,714
$2,870₱180.7K
6.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,778€2,471
$1,877₱118.2K
47.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sezana
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$899€800
$336₱21.1K
167.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.29
7.2
-54.31%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sezana: October 18, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sezana
$667 36.6%
Cebu
$305 33.3% ↓ 54.4%$363
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sezana
$348 19.1%
Cebu
$160 17.5% ↓ 54%$188
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sezana
$310 17%
Cebu
$210 22.9% ↓ 32.3%$100
🍽Eating Out
Sezana
$200 11%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 56.2%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sezana
$189 10.3%
Cebu
$94 10.3% ↓ 50%$94
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sezana
$67 3.7%
Cebu
$43 4.7% ↓ 35.8%$24
🚌Getting Around
Sezana
$45 2.4%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 66%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sezana
$865 26.3%
Cebu
$632 32.9% ↓ 26.9%$233
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sezana
$373 11.4%
Cebu
$174 9.1% ↓ 53.2%$198
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sezana
$725 22.1%
Cebu
$491 25.6% ↓ 32.2%$233
🍽Eating Out
Sezana
$676 20.6%
Cebu
$290 15.1% ↓ 57.1%$386
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sezana
$419 12.8%
Cebu
$209 10.9% ↓ 50%$210
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sezana
$134 * 4.1%
Cebu
$93 4.8% ↓ 31%$42
🚌Getting Around
Sezana
$92 2.8%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 66.6%$61
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $812 in Sezana and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Sezana pays 168% 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 Sezana vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Sezana vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Sezana?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sezana or Cebu?
Average pay runs 168% higher in Sezana, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Sezana and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $812 in Sezana versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Sezana and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,826 per month in Sezana versus $915 in Cebu – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 143% less than in Sezana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sezana or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $1,826 in Sezana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sezana. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sezana or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sezana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Sezana or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Sezana 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Sezana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.