For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $3,046 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surrey and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,046 in Surrey versus $918 in Cebu.
Surrey $3,046
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,410 in Surrey versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Surrey $4,410
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,774 in Surrey versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Surrey $5,774
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Surrey is roughly 232% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Surrey is 126% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.47£17.61
$3.09₱194
659.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.1£44.34
$24.22₱1,525
144.01%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.11£6.83
$3.92₱247
132.40%
Cappuccino
$4.77£3.58
$2.51₱158
90.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23£1.67
$1.59₱100
40.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44£1.08
$0.53₱33.43
171.70%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.78£5.09
$1.78₱112
280.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.00£4.50
$2.17₱137
176.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.25£0.94
$1.92₱121
-34.90%
White Bread(500g)
$2.12£1.59
$1.36₱85.4
55.88%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51£1.13
$1.01₱63.5
49.50%
Eggs
$4.18£3.14
$2.03₱128
105.91%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.19£6.14
$9.86₱621
-16.94%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.90£6.68
$4.39₱277
102.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.11£12.09
$7.60₱479
111.97%
Apples(1kg)
$3.13£2.34
$3.30₱208
-5.15%
Banana(1kg)
$1.47£1.10
$1.39₱87.8
5.76%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.96£1.47
$2.33₱147
-15.88%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.32£2.49
$1.50₱94.3
121.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.38£1.04
$2.36₱149
-41.53%
Onion(1kg)
$1.83£1.37
$1.90₱119
-3.68%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.37£1.03
$1.19₱74.9
15.13%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20£0.90
$0.63₱39.71
90.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.12£17.34
$3.00₱189
670.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.78£8.09
$6.03₱379
78.77%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.30£1.73
$1.23₱77.7
86.99%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46£1.84
$1.75₱110
40.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.99£2.99
$0.25₱15.86
1496.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$12.64₱796
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.35£4.02
$0.77₱48.62
594.81%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$0.23₱14.53
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$4.46₱281
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.88£1.41
$1.31₱82.8
43.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K£29.0K
$21.2K₱1.3M
81.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K£29.9K
$19.1K₱1.2M
108.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$260£195
$120₱7,569
116.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.15£9.87
$14.00₱882
-6.07%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.58£25.94
$27.54₱1,734
25.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.6£40.20
$32.33₱2,035
65.73%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.26£13.70
$6.65₱419
174.59%
Cinema Ticket
$13.17£9.88
$5.65₱356
133.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,125£1,594
$275₱17.3K
671.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$29.3K£22.0K
$7,918₱498.5K
269.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5£39.41
$49.33₱3,106
6.49%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.35£29.52
$25.24₱1,589
55.90%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$88.8£66.6
$77.0₱4,846
15.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.6£69.5
$57.2₱3,601
61.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,925£1,444
$500₱31.5K
285.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,893£1,420
$309₱19.4K
513.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,350£2,513
$1,078₱67.9K
210.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$3,303£2,478
$615₱38.7K
436.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,886₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$7,198£5,400
$1,917₱120.7K
275.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surrey
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,519£3,390
$346₱21.8K
1206.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.4
7.2
-25.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Surrey: October 13, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Surrey
$1.9K 62.2%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 83.7%$1.6K
🍽Eating Out
Surrey
$333 10.9%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 73.5%$245
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$307 10.1%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 47.4%$146
🛒Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$289 9.5%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 28.7%$83
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$123 4%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 23.6%$29
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$80 2.6%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 45.4%$36
🚌Getting Around
Surrey
$21 * 0.7%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 27%$5.8
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Surrey
$3.3K 57.2%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 81.4%$2.7K
🍽Eating Out
Surrey
$978 16.9%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 70.1%$686
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$321 5.6%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 45.2%$145
🛒Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$670 11.6%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 27.9%$187
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$273 4.7%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 23.6%$65
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$178 3.1%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 47.3%$84
🚌Getting Around
Surrey
$51 * 0.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 37.5%$19
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 $1,925 in Surrey and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Surrey pays 1206% 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: $59.0 in Surrey vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Surrey vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Surrey?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Surrey or Cebu?
Average pay runs 1206% higher in Surrey, 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 Surrey and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,925 in Surrey versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Surrey and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Surrey and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $3,046 per month in Surrey versus $918 in Cebu – a 232% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Surrey or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $3,046 in Surrey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Surrey. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Surrey or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Surrey, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Surrey or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Surrey 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 232% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.