Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sorsogon City and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sorsogon City: $715 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Sorsogon City
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Sorsogon City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Sorsogon City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$715

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Sorsogon City versus $934 in Cebu.

Sorsogon City $715
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in Sorsogon City versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Sorsogon City $1,099
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Sorsogon City versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Sorsogon City $1,483
Cebu $1,913

Living in Sorsogon City costs roughly 23% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sorsogon City 47% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 ₱252

$3.79 ₱242

4.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.72 ₱1,004

$23.33 ₱1,491

-32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.83 ₱181

$3.94 ₱252

-28.17%

Cappuccino

$2.20 ₱140

$2.54 ₱163

-13.39%

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

$0.68 ₱43.48

$1.57 ₱100

-56.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.45

$0.47 ₱29.82

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱76.7

$1.77 ₱113

-32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱128

$2.22 ₱142

-9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₱105

$1.90 ₱121

-13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ₱81.1

$1.36 ₱87.1

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.2

$0.94 ₱59.8

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$1.99 ₱127

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.54 ₱354

$9.70 ₱620

-42.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 ₱267

$4.32 ₱276

-3.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 ₱440

$7.51 ₱480

-8.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 ₱154

$3.31 ₱211

-27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱99.4

$1.37 ₱87.5

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱145

$2.34 ₱149

-2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ₱62.8

$1.49 ₱95.4

-34.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 ₱137

$2.30 ₱147

-6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₱139

$1.87 ₱120

16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱67.5

$1.10 ₱70.3

-3.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱35.82

$0.63 ₱40.36

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ₱198

$2.86 ₱183

8.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 ₱487

$6.08 ₱389

25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱62.5

$1.27 ₱81.4

-22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱123

$1.72 ₱110

11.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.79

$0.22 ₱13.99

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.55 ₱674

$12.34 ₱788

-14.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.4

$0.74 ₱47.53

10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₱12.40

$0.22 ₱14.08

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱123

$4.28 ₱273

-54.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱83.0

$1.31 ₱83.7

-0.76%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-7.48%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

0.26%

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

$121 ₱7,715

$118 ₱7,565

1.98%

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

$13.58 ₱868

$15.76 ₱1,007

-13.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 ₱1,556

$28.33 ₱1,810

-14.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.00 ₱2,044

$32.94 ₱2,105

-2.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 ₱328

$6.49 ₱415

-20.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 ₱346

$5.45 ₱348

-0.55%

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

$111 ₱7,114

$276 ₱17.6K

-59.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,261 ₱463.9K

$7,789 ₱497.7K

-6.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.79 ₱1,904

$48.18 ₱3,078

-38.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.96 ₱1,403

$24.47 ₱1,564

-10.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 ₱4,069

$75.3 ₱4,810

-15.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 ₱3,784

$58.0 ₱3,707

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.2K

$477 ₱30.5K

-43.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 ₱10.3K

$322 ₱20.6K

-49.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ₱29.3K

$963 ₱61.5K

-52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.9K

$626 ₱40.0K

-42.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,964 ₱189.4K

$4,551 ₱290.8K

-34.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,110 ₱70.9K

$3,028 ₱193.5K

-63.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

7.2

-3.89%

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

Last update for Sorsogon City: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sorsogon City

$180 25.1%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 13.4% $24

Accommodation & Living

Sorsogon City

$161 22.6%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 99.5% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sorsogon City

$159 22.2%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 2.4% $3.8

Eating Out

Sorsogon City

$80 11.3%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 17% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Sorsogon City

$79 11%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 17.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sorsogon City

$43 6%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 2.4% $1

Getting Around

Sorsogon City

$13 1.9%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 13.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Sorsogon City and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Sorsogon City vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $204 per month, with Sorsogon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Sorsogon City

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

Same time as Sorsogon City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,110

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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Sorsogon City Cebu 300 km

From you

Sorsogon City
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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

Sorsogon City vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sorsogon City is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,072 in Sorsogon City 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: $270 in Sorsogon City versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $715 per month in Sorsogon City versus $934 in Cebu – Sorsogon City is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Sorsogon City runs roughly 15% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $715 in Sorsogon City versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Sorsogon City but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Sorsogon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Sorsogon City and Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Sorsogon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.