Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,249 in Sunshine Coast, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,249

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Sunshine Coast versus $918 in Cebu.

Sunshine Coast $2,249
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,383 in Sunshine Coast versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Sunshine Coast $3,383
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Sunshine Coast versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Sunshine Coast $4,517
Cebu $1,900

Living in Sunshine Coast is roughly 145% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sunshine Coast is 67% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 A$24.60

$3.09 ₱195

453.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 A$109

$24.22 ₱1,525

212.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 A$15.29

$3.92 ₱247

171.17%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.95

$2.51 ₱158

64.54%

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

$2.75 A$3.96

$1.59 ₱100

72.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 A$3.84

$0.53 ₱33.45

403.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.29

$1.78 ₱112

341.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.66 A$13.90

$2.17 ₱137

345.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.89

$1.92 ₱121

-31.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 A$2.79

$1.36 ₱85.5

42.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.87

$1.01 ₱63.6

98.02%

Eggs

$4.67 A$6.72

$2.03 ₱128

130.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 A$15.67

$9.86 ₱621

10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.50

$4.39 ₱277

82.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.85 A$30.00

$7.60 ₱479

174.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.30 ₱208

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.53

$1.39 ₱87.8

76.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.33 ₱147

30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 A$5.77

$1.50 ₱94.3

167.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.95

$2.36 ₱149

-13.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 A$2.32

$1.90 ₱119

-15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.19 ₱74.9

89.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.63 ₱39.73

257.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.90 A$67.5

$3.00 ₱189

1463.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 A$22.50

$6.03 ₱380

159.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$1.23 ₱77.7

339.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 A$8.71

$1.75 ₱110

246.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 A$2.05

$0.25 ₱15.87

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.59 A$58.4

$12.64 ₱796

221.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.04

$0.77 ₱48.64

175.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.32

$0.23 ₱14.54

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.11 A$52.0

$4.46 ₱281

709.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.31 ₱82.8

-0.76%

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

$31.4K A$45.2K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

47.79%

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

$30.2K A$43.5K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

57.76%

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

$140 A$202

$120 ₱7,573

16.80%

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

$42.80 A$61.6

$14.00 ₱882

205.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 A$95.4

$27.54 ₱1,735

140.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 A$71.4

$32.33 ₱2,036

53.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.80

$6.65 ₱419

148.72%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$22.13

$5.65 ₱356

172.21%

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

$2,080 A$2,993

$275 ₱17.3K

655.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 A$91.3

$49.33 ₱3,107

28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$111 A$160

$25.24 ₱1,590

340.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 A$142

$77.0 ₱4,848

28.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 A$144

$57.2 ₱3,603

74.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 A$1,709

$500 ₱31.5K

137.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 A$1,473

$309 ₱19.5K

231.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 A$2,659

$1,078 ₱67.9K

71.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,517

$615 ₱38.8K

184.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,633 A$8,106

$2,886 ₱181.8K

95.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,523

$1,917 ₱120.7K

172.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,483 A$5,012

$346 ₱21.8K

906.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

7.2

-20.14%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sunshine Coast

$1K 45.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 69.8% $715

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$373 16.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 44.7% $167

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 13.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 70.4% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$250 11.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 35.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.5%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 44.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$80 3.6%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 45.7% $37

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$56 2.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 72.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Sunshine Coast and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunshine Coast pays 907% 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: $76.0 in Sunshine Coast vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

00:32 12:32 AM

2 h behind Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

964,169

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sunshine Coast Cebu 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sunshine Coast
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

Sunshine Coast vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 145% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 907% higher in Sunshine Coast, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,187 in Sunshine Coast versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,249 per month in Sunshine Coast versus $918 in Cebu – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 221% less than in Sunshine Coast. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,249 in Sunshine Coast, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sunshine Coast. 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 Sunshine Coast, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sunshine Coast 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 145% less than in Sunshine Coast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.