Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pandan and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pandan
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Tanjung Pandan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Tanjung Pandan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$617

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $617 in Tanjung Pandan versus $934 in Cebu.

Tanjung Pandan $617
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,000 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Tanjung Pandan $1,000
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,383 in Tanjung Pandan versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Tanjung Pandan $1,383
Cebu $1,913

Living in Tanjung Pandan costs roughly 34% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tanjung Pandan 55% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

$3.79 ₱243

-58.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 273.3K

$23.33 ₱1,493

-35.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 Rp 65.2K

$3.94 ₱252

-8.88%

Cappuccino

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

$2.54 ₱163

-40.94%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,687

$1.57 ₱100

-73.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,943

$0.47 ₱29.87

-53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$1.77 ₱113

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

$2.22 ₱142

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$1.90 ₱121

-44.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

$1.36 ₱87.3

-26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

$0.94 ₱59.9

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$1.99 ₱127

-37.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 Rp 115.5K

$9.70 ₱621

-34.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 Rp 59.2K

$4.32 ₱276

-24.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 Rp 154.1K

$7.51 ₱481

13.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 35.0K

$3.31 ₱212

-41.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$1.37 ₱87.6

-17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 Rp 31.9K

$2.34 ₱150

-24.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

$1.49 ₱95.5

-16.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Rp 19.7K

$2.30 ₱147

-53.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

$1.87 ₱120

1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$1.10 ₱70.4

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,297

$0.63 ₱40.42

-36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 Rp 45.6K

$2.86 ₱183

-12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.14 Rp 419.9K

$6.08 ₱389

280.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$1.27 ₱81.6

43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$1.72 ₱110

96.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,557

$0.22 ₱14.01

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.41 Rp 188.8K

$12.34 ₱790

-15.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,524

$0.74 ₱47.60

-36.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,501

$0.22 ₱14.10

63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

$4.28 ₱274

-42.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 16.1K

$1.31 ₱83.8

-32.82%

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

$20.2K Rp 366.3M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

-2.77%

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

$30.6K Rp 555.6M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

60.76%

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

$60.5 Rp 1.1M

$118 ₱7,577

-48.89%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.5K

$15.76 ₱1,009

-73.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 Rp 362.9K

$28.33 ₱1,813

-29.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.60 Rp 355.7K

$32.94 ₱2,108

-40.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.42 Rp 152.8K

$6.49 ₱415

29.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 Rp 55.9K

$5.45 ₱349

-43.49%

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

$88.3 Rp 1.6M

$276 ₱17.6K

-68.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,394 Rp 134.2M

$7,789 ₱498.4K

-5.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.55 Rp 735.7K

$48.18 ₱3,083

-15.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.32 Rp 495.8K

$24.47 ₱1,566

11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 Rp 1.5M

$75.3 ₱4,817

7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 Rp 1.1M

$58.0 ₱3,713

3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$477 ₱30.5K

-57.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 Rp 2.6M

$322 ₱20.6K

-56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 Rp 9.7M

$963 ₱61.6K

-44.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 Rp 6.9M

$626 ₱40.0K

-39.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 Rp 22.9M

$4,551 ₱291.2K

-72.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$883 Rp 16.0M

$3,028 ₱193.8K

-70.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

7.2

31.39%

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

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tanjung Pandan

$197 31.9%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 3.4% $6.7

Accommodation & Living

Tanjung Pandan

$141 22.9%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 128% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Tanjung Pandan

$94 15.3%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 1.6% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tanjung Pandan

$85 13.7%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 91.8% $78

Eating Out

Tanjung Pandan

$61 9.9%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 54.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Tanjung Pandan

$26 4.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 70.2% $18

Getting Around

Tanjung Pandan

$14 2.2%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 10.2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Tanjung Pandan and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Tanjung Pandan vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $204 per month, with Tanjung Pandan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

23:02 11:02 PM

1 h ahead of Tanjung Pandan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,062

964,169

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.52 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tanjung Pandan Cebu 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tanjung Pandan
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

Tanjung Pandan vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tanjung Pandan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $926 in Tanjung Pandan 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: $204 in Tanjung Pandan versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $617 per month in Tanjung Pandan versus $934 in Cebu – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tanjung Pandan runs roughly 16% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Tanjung Pandan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Tanjung Pandan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.