Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Julians and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,257 in St. Julians, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

St. Julians
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,257
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,257 in St. Julians versus $915 in Cebu.

  • St. Julians $2,257
  • Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,588 in St. Julians versus $1,418 in Cebu.

  • St. Julians $3,588
  • Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,919 in St. Julians versus $1,921 in Cebu.

  • St. Julians $4,919
  • Cebu $1,921

Living in St. Julians is roughly 147% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: St. Julians is 67% above, Cebu is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.12 €17.90
$3.05 ₱192
559.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.0 €88.1
$24.00 ₱1,511
312.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.09 €9.87
$3.99 ₱251
177.94%
Cappuccino
$3.27 €2.91
$2.50 ₱157
30.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 €2.72
$1.54 ₱97.1
98.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 €1.69
$0.50 ₱31.37
280.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.57 €4.06
$1.78 ₱112
156.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.06
$2.17 ₱136
110.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 €1.10
$2.00 ₱126
-38.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.37 ₱86.2
27.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.38 €3.00
$1.03 ₱64.9
228.16%
Eggs
$4.54 €4.04
$2.03 ₱128
123.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.83 €16.75
$10.20 ₱642
84.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.64 €9.46
$4.45 ₱280
139.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.95 €15.97
$7.67 ₱483
134.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 €2.70
$3.31 ₱208
-8.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 €1.83
$1.46 ₱91.8
40.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.88 €2.56
$2.32 ₱146
24.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 €3.55
$1.49 ₱94.0
167.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 €2.16
$2.34 ₱147
3.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 €2.12
$1.94 ₱122
23.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.16 ₱73.0
64.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.79
$0.68 ₱42.89
30.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.77 €6.02
$2.99 ₱188
126.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.21 €6.42
$6.24 ₱393
15.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 €1.44
$1.23 ₱77.3
31.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.73 ₱109
35.84%
🚌 Getting Around
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 €2.27
$0.23 ₱14.36
1008.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.34 ₱777
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.59 €4.09
$0.79 ₱49.96
481.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 €1.47
$0.22 ₱13.86
650.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.13 €34.80
$4.54 ₱286
761.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.32 ₱82.9
16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K €24.5K
$21.0K ₱1.3M
30.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K €35.2K
$19.4K ₱1.2M
103.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 €68.2
$119 ₱7,464
-35.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.28 €31.38
$14.22 ₱896
148.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.16 €31.27
$27.47 ₱1,730
27.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$94.5 €84.1
$32.31 ₱2,034
192.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.97 €35.56
$6.50 ₱409
514.92%
Cinema Ticket
$11.39 €10.13
$5.40 ₱340
110.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$618 €550
$276 ₱17.4K
123.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.9K €12.4K
$7,866 ₱495.3K
77.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$146 €130
$49.37 ₱3,108
195.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.1 €49.02
$24.58 ₱1,548
124.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 €108
$76.6 ₱4,825
57.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 €146
$58.9 ₱3,706
178.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,391 €1,237
$503 ₱31.7K
176.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,124 €999
$305 ₱19.2K
269.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,555 €2,273
$1,075 ₱67.7K
137.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,042 €1,816
$632 ₱39.8K
223.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,727 €5,094
$2,870 ₱180.7K
99.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,143 €2,796
$1,877 ₱118.2K
67.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. Julians
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,426 €2,158
$336 ₱21.1K
622.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.22
7.2
-55.28%

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

Last update for St. Julians: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
St. Julians
$1.1K
Cebu
$305 72.9% $819
Groceries & Markets
St. Julians
$342
Cebu
$210 38.7% $132
Eating Out
St. Julians
$285
Cebu
$88 69.2% $197
Clothing & Footwear
St. Julians
$219
Cebu
$94 56.9% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Julians
$147
Cebu
$160 8.9% $13
Sport & Entertainment
St. Julians
$117
Cebu
$43 63.3% $74
Getting Around
St. Julians
$23 *
Cebu
$15 34.3% $7.9

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 $1,391 in St. Julians and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Julians pays 622% 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: $99.0 in St. Julians vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇹 St. Julians
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
22:36 10:36 PM
04:36 4:36 AM
6 h ahead of St. Julians
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,792
964,169
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • St. Julians Cebu 11,030 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • St. Julians
  • 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
St. Julians vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than St. Julians?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: St. Julians or Cebu?
Average pay runs 622% higher in St. Julians, 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 St. Julians and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,391 in St. Julians versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in St. Julians and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in St. Julians. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in St. Julians and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,257 per month in St. Julians versus $915 in Cebu – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in St. Julians or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $2,257 in St. Julians, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in St. Julians. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is St. Julians or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St. Julians, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, St. Julians or Cebu?
Safety-wise, St. Julians 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 147% less than in St. Julians. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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