Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Tacloban versus $934 in Cebu.

Tacloban $771
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,152 in Tacloban versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Tacloban $1,152
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Tacloban versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Tacloban $1,532
Cebu $1,913

Living in Tacloban costs roughly 17% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tacloban 43% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$3.79 ₱242

5.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.55 ₱994

$23.33 ₱1,491

-33.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱149

$3.94 ₱252

-40.86%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ₱148

$2.54 ₱163

-9.06%

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

$0.68 ₱43.57

$1.57 ₱100

-56.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱23.22

$0.47 ₱29.82

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₱102

$1.77 ₱113

-10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱138

$2.22 ₱142

-2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.90 ₱121

0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$1.36 ₱87.1

-18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.2

$0.94 ₱59.8

-14.89%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$1.99 ₱127

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ₱642

$9.70 ₱620

3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₱262

$4.32 ₱276

-4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 ₱459

$7.51 ₱480

-4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₱203

$3.31 ₱211

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.8

$1.37 ₱87.5

-21.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱146

$2.34 ₱149

-2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₱93.3

$1.49 ₱95.4

-2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.87 ₱120

-1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.7

$1.10 ₱70.3

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.26

$0.63 ₱40.36

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ₱119

$2.86 ₱183

-34.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ₱402

$6.08 ₱389

3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱68.4

$1.27 ₱81.4

-15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.82

$0.22 ₱13.99

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 ₱786

$12.34 ₱788

-0.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.88

$0.74 ₱47.53

5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.07

$0.22 ₱14.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$4.28 ₱273

-56.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱66.2

$1.31 ₱83.7

-20.61%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

2.32%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

-1.12%

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

$117 ₱7,485

$118 ₱7,565

-1.06%

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

$15.64 ₱999

$15.76 ₱1,007

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 ₱1,811

$28.33 ₱1,810

0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 ₱2,024

$32.94 ₱2,105

-3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.30 ₱339

$6.49 ₱415

-18.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ₱342

$5.45 ₱348

-1.65%

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

$131 ₱8,357

$276 ₱17.6K

-52.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,929 ₱506.6K

$7,789 ₱497.7K

1.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.33 ₱2,066

$48.18 ₱3,078

-32.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,233

$24.47 ₱1,564

-21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,889

$75.3 ₱4,810

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,577

$58.0 ₱3,707

-3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$477 ₱30.5K

-46.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.2K

$322 ₱20.6K

-40.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₱31.8K

$963 ₱61.5K

-48.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.2K

$626 ₱40.0K

-44.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱165.2K

$4,551 ₱290.8K

-43.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₱71.1K

$3,028 ₱193.5K

-63.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ₱21.7K

$333 ₱21.3K

1.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$195 25.3%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 4.2% $8.3

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.8%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 68.1% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$161 20.9%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 0.9% $1.4

Eating Out

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 13.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.7%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 11.9% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$42 5.5%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 3.4% $1.5

Getting Around

Tacloban

$15 1.9%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 0.5% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Tacloban and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Tacloban vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $204 per month, with Tacloban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

Same time as Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Tacloban Cebu 160 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

Tacloban vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacloban is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,157 in Tacloban and $1,401 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: $254 in Tacloban versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $771 per month in Tacloban versus $934 in Cebu – Tacloban is about 17% 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.