For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,227 in Szeged, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Szeged and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,227 in Szeged versus $918 in Cebu.
Szeged $1,227
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Szeged versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Szeged $1,912
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,596 in Szeged versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Szeged $2,596
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Szeged is roughly 34% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Szeged9% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.98Ft 2,902
$3.09₱194
190.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.4Ft 18.5K
$24.22₱1,525
136.99%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.34Ft 3,018
$3.92₱247
138.27%
Cappuccino
$2.41Ft 777
$2.51₱158
-3.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56Ft 504
$1.59₱100
-1.89%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33Ft 429
$0.53₱33.43
150.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.33Ft 754
$1.78₱112
30.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22Ft 717
$2.17₱137
2.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.22Ft 393
$1.92₱121
-36.46%
White Bread(500g)
$1.37Ft 441
$1.36₱85.4
0.74%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.42Ft 781
$1.01₱63.5
139.60%
Eggs
$3.56Ft 1,150
$2.03₱128
75.37%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.46Ft 3,378
$9.86₱621
6.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.41Ft 2,070
$4.39₱277
46.01%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.40Ft 5,298
$7.60₱479
115.79%
Apples(1kg)
$2.28Ft 737
$3.30₱208
-30.91%
Banana(1kg)
$2.21Ft 716
$1.39₱87.8
58.99%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.05Ft 662
$2.33₱147
-12.02%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.35Ft 1,082
$1.50₱94.3
123.33%
Potato(1kg)
$0.98Ft 317
$2.36₱149
-58.47%
Onion(1kg)
$1.04Ft 336
$1.90₱119
-45.26%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.66Ft 537
$1.19₱74.9
39.50%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52Ft 167
$0.63₱39.71
-17.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$8.04Ft 2,599
$3.00₱189
168.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.45Ft 1,760
$6.03₱379
-9.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26Ft 407
$1.23₱77.7
2.44%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99Ft 643
$1.75₱110
13.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.63Ft 527
$0.25₱15.86
552.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$29.42Ft 9,505
$12.64₱796
132.75%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.02Ft 975
$0.77₱48.62
292.21%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.65Ft 533
$0.23₱14.53
617.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$18.15Ft 5,864
$4.46₱281
306.95%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.90Ft 615
$1.31₱82.8
45.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5KFt 9.5M
$21.2K₱1.3M
38.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9KFt 12.2M
$19.1K₱1.2M
97.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$127Ft 40.9K
$120₱7,569
5.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.61Ft 6,981
$14.00₱882
54.36%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.17Ft 6,515
$27.54₱1,734
-26.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$46.93Ft 15.2K
$32.33₱2,035
45.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.12Ft 9,409
$6.65₱419
337.89%
Cinema Ticket
$8.59Ft 2,775
$5.65₱356
52.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$248Ft 80.2K
$275₱17.3K
-9.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,658Ft 2.2M
$7,918₱498.5K
-15.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114Ft 36.9K
$49.33₱3,106
131.28%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.26Ft 10.4K
$25.24₱1,589
27.81%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.2Ft 30.4K
$77.0₱4,846
22.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114Ft 36.7K
$57.2₱3,601
98.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$523Ft 168.9K
$500₱31.5K
4.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$380Ft 122.9K
$309₱19.4K
23.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$761Ft 245.8K
$1,078₱67.9K
-29.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$603Ft 194.7K
$615₱38.7K
-2.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,103Ft 1.0M
$2,886₱181.7K
7.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,320Ft 749.4K
$1,917₱120.7K
21.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szeged
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,234Ft 398.7K
$346₱21.8K
256.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.67
7.2
-7.36%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Szeged: October 10, 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
Szeged
$380 31%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 18.8%$71
🛒Groceries & Markets
Szeged
$251 20.5%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 18%$45
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szeged
$169 13.7%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 4%$6.8
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Szeged
$159 13%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 41.1%$65
🍽Eating Out
Szeged
$156 12.8%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 43.6%$68
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Szeged
$64 5.2%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 32%$20
🚌Getting Around
Szeged
$47 3.9%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 67%$32
🏠Accommodation & Living
Szeged
$603 23.2%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 2.1%$12
🛒Groceries & Markets
Szeged
$596 23%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 19%$113
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szeged
$190 7.3%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 7.5%$14
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Szeged
$354 13.6%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 41.1%$145
🍽Eating Out
Szeged
$598 23%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 51.2%$306
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Szeged
$157 6.1%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 40.3%$63
🚌Getting Around
Szeged
$98 3.8%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 67.6%$66
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Szeged and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szeged pays 257% 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: $57.0 in Szeged vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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
Szeged vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Szeged?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Szeged or Cebu?
Average pay runs 257% higher in Szeged, 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 Szeged and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $523 in Szeged versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Szeged and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,227 per month in Szeged versus $918 in Cebu – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 133% less than in Szeged. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Szeged or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,227 in Szeged, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Szeged. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Szeged or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Szeged, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Szeged or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Szeged 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 34% less than in Szeged. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.