Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surigao and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $733 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $733 in Surigao versus $943 in Cebu.

Surigao $733
Cebu $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,113 in Surigao versus $1,437 in Cebu.

Surigao $1,113
Cebu $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,492 in Surigao versus $1,930 in Cebu.

Surigao $1,492
Cebu $1,930

Living in Surigao costs roughly 22% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surigao 46% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 ₱251

$3.88 ₱246

1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.72 ₱1,061

$23.22 ₱1,473

-27.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$3.90 ₱248

-27.69%

Cappuccino

$2.13 ₱135

$2.56 ₱162

-16.80%

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

$0.67 ₱42.80

$1.60 ₱102

-58.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.58

$0.51 ₱32.28

-39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.4

$1.76 ₱112

-34.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.15 ₱137

-6.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.99 ₱126

-19.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.37 ₱87.0

-16.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$0.95 ₱60.3

2.11%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$2.02 ₱128

-8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.62 ₱357

$9.63 ₱611

-41.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 ₱263

$4.35 ₱276

-4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 ₱436

$7.70 ₱489

-10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ₱153

$3.30 ₱209

-26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱100.0

$1.27 ₱80.3

24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱147

$2.34 ₱149

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.6

$1.51 ₱96.1

-25.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 ₱134

$2.23 ₱142

-4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$1.93 ₱123

17.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.4

$1.18 ₱75.0

-7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱36.45

$0.65 ₱41.24

-12.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ₱187

$2.89 ₱183

2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 ₱466

$6.35 ₱403

15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.6

$1.27 ₱80.7

-28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱122

$1.64 ₱104

17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.93

$0.23 ₱14.53

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.28 ₱779

$12.24 ₱776

0.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.01

$0.82 ₱51.9

-7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.20 ₱12.66

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱120

$4.32 ₱274

-56.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.5

$1.38 ₱87.4

-11.59%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

0.36%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-0.12%

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

$120 ₱7,601

$124 ₱7,876

-3.50%

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

$15.80 ₱1,002

$15.93 ₱1,011

-0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.90 ₱2,214

$28.07 ₱1,781

24.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 ₱2,019

$33.41 ₱2,120

-4.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.07 ₱322

$6.40 ₱406

-20.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 ₱321

$5.85 ₱371

-13.50%

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

$128 ₱8,111

$271 ₱17.2K

-52.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,715 ₱489.5K

$8,060 ₱511.3K

-4.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.90 ₱2,087

$48.31 ₱3,065

-31.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.32 ₱1,226

$24.56 ₱1,558

-21.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ₱4,532

$77.1 ₱4,893

-7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,406

$56.5 ₱3,585

-4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₱15.9K

$495 ₱31.4K

-49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.6K

$322 ₱20.4K

-47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ₱30.8K

$990 ₱62.8K

-50.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.1K

$628 ₱39.9K

-44.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,651 ₱168.2K

$4,459 ₱282.9K

-40.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₱71.3K

$3,030 ₱192.2K

-62.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.7K

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 Surigao: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surigao

$179 24.4%

Cebu

$206 21.8% 15.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surigao

$171 23.3%

Cebu

$168 17.8% 1.4% $2.4

Accommodation & Living

Surigao

$168 22.9%

Cebu

$322 34.1% 91.7% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Surigao

$80 10.9%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 16.5% $13

Eating Out

Surigao

$79 10.8%

Cebu

$95 10.1% 19.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Surigao

$42 5.7%

Cebu

$45 4.8% 7.6% $3.2

Getting Around

Surigao

$15 2.1%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 0.3% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in Surigao and $495 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Surigao vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $206 per month, with Surigao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Surigao

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

Same time as Surigao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,107

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Surigao Cebu 180 km

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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

Surigao vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surigao is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,100 in Surigao and $1,415 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: $250 in Surigao versus $495 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $733 per month in Surigao versus $943 in Cebu – Surigao is about 22% 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.

Safety-wise, Surigao and Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.