Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Takamatsu and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,191 in Takamatsu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Takamatsu
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,191
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,191 in Takamatsu versus $915 in Cebu.

  • Takamatsu $1,191
  • Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Takamatsu versus $1,418 in Cebu.

  • Takamatsu $1,881
  • Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,571 in Takamatsu versus $1,921 in Cebu.

  • Takamatsu $2,571
  • Cebu $1,921

Living in Takamatsu is roughly 30% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Takamatsu 12% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.20 ¥980
$3.05 ₱192
103.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.99 ¥5,054
$24.00 ₱1,511
33.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.12 ¥809
$3.99 ₱251
28.32%
Cappuccino
$3.13 ¥495
$2.50 ₱157
25.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 ¥189
$1.54 ₱97.1
-22.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 ¥126
$0.50 ₱31.37
60.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.60 ¥410
$1.78 ₱112
46.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 ¥508
$2.17 ₱136
48.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 ¥238
$2.00 ₱126
-25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.60 ¥252
$1.37 ₱86.2
16.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 ¥278
$1.03 ₱64.9
70.87%
Eggs
$2.29 ¥361
$2.03 ₱128
12.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.37 ¥1,639
$10.20 ₱642
1.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.60 ¥1,043
$4.45 ₱280
48.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.83 ¥2,659
$7.67 ₱483
119.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 ¥583
$3.31 ₱208
11.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 ¥360
$1.46 ₱91.8
56.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 ¥458
$2.32 ₱146
25.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.24 ¥671
$1.49 ₱94.0
184.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.48 ¥391
$2.34 ₱147
5.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.46 ¥389
$1.94 ₱122
26.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 ¥201
$1.16 ₱73.0
9.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥124
$0.68 ₱42.89
16.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.67 ¥580
$2.99 ₱188
22.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.63 ¥1,048
$6.24 ₱393
6.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 ¥298
$1.23 ₱77.3
52.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 ¥333
$1.73 ₱109
21.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.46 ¥231
$0.23 ₱14.36
534.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ¥8,414
$12.34 ₱777
331.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 ¥503
$0.79 ₱49.96
302.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.79 ¥442
$0.22 ₱13.86
1168.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.60 ¥2,938
$4.54 ₱286
309.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥168
$1.32 ₱82.9
-19.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K ¥3.4M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
2.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K ¥2.4M
$19.4K ₱1.2M
-22.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 ¥21.6K
$119 ₱7,464
15.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.78 ¥3,757
$14.22 ₱896
67.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.79 ¥4,865
$27.47 ₱1,730
12.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 ¥8,161
$32.31 ₱2,034
59.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.11 ¥491
$6.50 ₱409
-52.15%
Cinema Ticket
$11.79 ¥1,862
$5.40 ₱340
118.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$521 ¥82.3K
$276 ₱17.4K
88.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K ¥2.0M
$7,866 ₱495.3K
60.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.96 ¥7,736
$49.37 ₱3,108
-0.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.24 ¥4,936
$24.58 ₱1,548
27.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.1 ¥9,499
$76.6 ₱4,825
-21.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.5 ¥14.3K
$58.9 ₱3,706
53.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$529 ¥83.6K
$503 ₱31.7K
5.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 ¥52.8K
$305 ₱19.2K
9.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,089 ¥172.0K
$1,075 ₱67.7K
1.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$735 ¥116.1K
$632 ₱39.8K
16.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,144 ¥654.7K
$2,870 ₱180.7K
44.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,783 ¥281.6K
$1,877 ₱118.2K
-5.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Takamatsu
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,761 ¥278.1K
$336 ₱21.1K
424.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
7.2
-69.31%

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

Last update for Takamatsu: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Takamatsu
$334
Cebu
$305 8.9% $30
Groceries & Markets
Takamatsu
$280
Cebu
$210 25.3% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Takamatsu
$191
Cebu
$160 16.2% $31
Eating Out
Takamatsu
$130
Cebu
$88 32.5% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Takamatsu
$104
Cebu
$94 9.3% $9.6
Getting Around
Takamatsu
$76
Cebu
$15 80.1% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Takamatsu
$75
Cebu
$43 42.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $529 in Takamatsu and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Takamatsu pays 424% 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: $32.00 in Takamatsu vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Takamatsu
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
12:30 12:30 PM
11:30 11:30 AM
1 h behind Takamatsu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
426,514
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Takamatsu Cebu 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Takamatsu
  • 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
Takamatsu vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Takamatsu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Takamatsu or Cebu?
Average pay runs 424% higher in Takamatsu, 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 Takamatsu and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $529 in Takamatsu versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Takamatsu and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,191 per month in Takamatsu versus $915 in Cebu – a 30% 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 332% less than in Takamatsu. 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 Takamatsu or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $1,191 in Takamatsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Takamatsu. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Takamatsu or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Takamatsu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Takamatsu or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Takamatsu 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 30% less than in Takamatsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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