Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siargao and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Siargao versus $934 in Cebu.

Siargao $783
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,222 in Siargao versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Siargao $1,222
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,660 in Siargao versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Siargao $1,660
Cebu $1,913

Living in Siargao costs roughly 16% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Siargao 42% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ₱233

$3.79 ₱242

-3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.68 ₱1,256

$23.33 ₱1,490

-15.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.32 ₱212

$3.94 ₱252

-15.74%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱160

$2.54 ₱162

-1.57%

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

$0.83 ₱52.8

$1.57 ₱100

-47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱25.33

$0.47 ₱29.80

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₱82.1

$1.77 ₱113

-27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ₱138

$2.22 ₱142

-2.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱122

$1.90 ₱121

1.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.4

$1.36 ₱87.1

-7.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.7

$0.94 ₱59.8

-1.06%

Eggs

$2.05 ₱131

$1.99 ₱127

3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 ₱518

$9.70 ₱619

-16.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 ₱272

$4.32 ₱276

-1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱479

$7.51 ₱480

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ₱185

$3.31 ₱211

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱97.4

$1.37 ₱87.4

10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 ₱165

$2.34 ₱149

10.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₱100

$1.49 ₱95.3

5.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 ₱140

$2.30 ₱147

-4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 ₱165

$1.87 ₱120

38.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.10 ₱70.3

-1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱46.08

$0.63 ₱40.33

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$2.86 ₱182

-2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 ₱443

$6.08 ₱388

14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₱73.8

$1.27 ₱81.4

-8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$1.72 ₱110

18.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.46

$0.22 ₱13.98

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.37 ₱726

$12.34 ₱788

-7.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.73

$0.74 ₱47.50

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.40

$0.22 ₱14.07

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 ₱133

$4.28 ₱273

-51.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.31 ₱83.6

-12.98%

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

$26.6K ₱1.7M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

28.28%

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

$20.3K ₱1.3M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

6.56%

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

$112 ₱7,141

$118 ₱7,560

-5.54%

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

$32.27 ₱2,060

$15.76 ₱1,006

104.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.58 ₱1,761

$28.33 ₱1,808

-2.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.95 ₱2,168

$32.94 ₱2,103

3.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.50 ₱288

$6.49 ₱414

-30.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 ₱382

$5.45 ₱348

9.72%

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

$151 ₱9,642

$276 ₱17.6K

-45.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,239 ₱270.6K

$7,789 ₱497.3K

-45.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 ₱2,906

$48.18 ₱3,076

-5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.51 ₱1,693

$24.47 ₱1,563

8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,881

$75.3 ₱4,806

1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,458

$58.0 ₱3,704

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₱16.8K

$477 ₱30.5K

-44.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱11.1K

$322 ₱20.5K

-46.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 ₱37.1K

$963 ₱61.5K

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.7K

$626 ₱39.9K

-38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,322 ₱148.3K

$4,551 ₱290.6K

-48.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,123 ₱71.7K

$3,028 ₱193.3K

-62.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

7.2

-7.36%

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

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Siargao

$202 25.8%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 0.8% $1.5

Accommodation & Living

Siargao

$173 22.1%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 85.8% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Siargao

$172 21.9%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 5.4% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Siargao

$91 11.6%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 1.6% $1.5

Eating Out

Siargao

$85 10.8%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 10.8% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Siargao

$46 5.9%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 4.5% $2.1

Getting Around

Siargao

$14 1.8%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 4.7% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $263 in Siargao and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Siargao vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $204 per month, with Siargao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Siargao

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

Same time as Siargao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Siargao Cebu 240 km

From you

Siargao
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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

Siargao vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siargao is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,175 in Siargao 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: $263 in Siargao versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Siargao runs roughly 8% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $783 per month in Siargao versus $934 in Cebu – Siargao is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.