Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,048 in Shiso, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Shiso despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,048 in Shiso versus $915 in Cebu.

Shiso $1,048
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,913 in Shiso versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Shiso $1,913
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,777 in Shiso versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Shiso $2,777
Cebu $1,921

Living in Shiso is roughly 15% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shiso 23% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 ¥1,244

$3.05 ₱192

158.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 ¥10.7K

$24.00 ₱1,511

183.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 ¥993

$3.99 ₱251

57.64%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥584

$2.50 ₱157

47.60%

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

$0.83 ¥132

$1.54 ₱97.1

-46.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.50 ₱31.37

44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ¥407

$1.78 ₱112

44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥497

$2.17 ₱136

45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$2.00 ₱126

-24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 ¥474

$1.37 ₱86.2

118.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 ¥769

$1.03 ₱64.9

372.82%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥346

$2.03 ₱128

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,609

$10.20 ₱642

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,023

$4.45 ₱280

45.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.01 ¥4,267

$7.67 ₱483

252.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥842

$3.31 ₱208

61.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$1.46 ₱91.8

77.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 ¥641

$2.32 ₱146

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥943

$1.49 ₱94.0

300.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$2.34 ₱147

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥411

$1.94 ₱122

34.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.16 ₱73.0

18.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.68 ₱42.89

22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ¥650

$2.99 ₱188

37.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥1,211

$6.24 ₱393

22.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.23 ₱77.3

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥351

$1.73 ₱109

28.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ¥216

$0.23 ₱14.36

491.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.90 ¥5,356

$12.34 ₱777

174.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥564

$0.79 ₱49.96

351.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥455

$0.22 ₱13.86

1209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 ¥3,297

$4.54 ₱286

359.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.32 ₱82.9

-3.03%

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

$22.9K ¥3.6M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

9.00%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-12.49%

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

$144 ¥22.8K

$119 ₱7,464

21.79%

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

$23.93 ¥3,781

$14.22 ₱896

68.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.58 ¥2,146

$27.47 ₱1,730

-50.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 ¥5,805

$32.31 ₱2,034

13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥2,167

$6.50 ₱409

110.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 ¥726

$5.40 ₱340

-15.00%

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

$283 ¥44.8K

$276 ₱17.4K

2.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$7,866 ₱495.3K

72.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 ¥1,589

$49.37 ₱3,108

-79.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 ¥4,720

$24.58 ₱1,548

21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.76 ¥5,334

$76.6 ₱4,825

-55.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 ¥15.7K

$58.9 ₱3,706

69.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥74.3K

$503 ₱31.7K

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥26.0K

$305 ₱19.2K

-45.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥136.1K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

-19.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥104.2K

$632 ₱39.8K

4.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,229 ¥668.1K

$2,870 ₱180.7K

47.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,769 ¥279.5K

$1,877 ₱118.2K

-5.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

7.2

-75.28%

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

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shiso

$368 35.2%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 43.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiso

$182 17.4%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 11.9% $22

Accommodation & Living

Shiso

$165 15.7%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 84.9% $140

Eating Out

Shiso

$152 14.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 42.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Shiso

$78 7.4%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 20.8% $16

Getting Around

Shiso

$57 5.5%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 73.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Shiso

$46 4.4%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 6.2% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Shiso and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Shiso vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shiso

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

11:29 11:29 AM

1 h behind Shiso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,610

964,169

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shiso Cebu 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shiso
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

Shiso vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,572 in Shiso and $1,372 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: $470 in Shiso versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,048 per month in Shiso versus $915 in Cebu – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 175% less than in Shiso. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,048 in Shiso, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Shiso. 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 Shiso, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Shiso 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 15% less than in Shiso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.