Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsu and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,269 in Tsu, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Tsu
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Tsu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Tsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,269

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Tsu versus $918 in Cebu.

Tsu $1,269
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Tsu versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Tsu $1,979
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,688 in Tsu versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Tsu $2,688
Cebu $1,900

Living in Tsu is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tsu 6% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 ¥1,023

$3.09 ₱194

109.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ¥2,814

$24.22 ₱1,525

-26.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.84 ¥606

$3.92 ₱247

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$2.34 ¥370

$2.51 ₱158

-6.77%

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

$1.19 ¥188

$1.59 ₱100

-25.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥98.8

$0.53 ₱33.43

18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 ¥317

$1.78 ₱112

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ¥369

$2.17 ₱137

7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥238

$1.92 ₱121

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.36 ₱85.4

-7.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.42 ¥856

$1.01 ₱63.5

436.63%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$2.03 ₱128

-1.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 ¥2,008

$9.86 ₱621

28.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 ¥1,537

$4.39 ₱277

121.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.13 ¥5,076

$7.60 ₱479

322.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 ¥596

$3.30 ₱208

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥361

$1.39 ₱87.8

64.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 ¥985

$2.33 ₱147

167.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥661

$1.50 ₱94.3

179.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ¥610

$2.36 ₱149

63.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 ¥558

$1.90 ₱119

85.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.19 ₱74.9

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥159

$0.63 ₱39.71

60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 ¥557

$3.00 ₱189

17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 ¥1,266

$6.03 ₱379

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥321

$1.23 ₱77.7

65.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥230

$1.75 ₱110

-17.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$0.25 ₱15.86

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 ¥8,283

$12.64 ₱796

314.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥502

$0.77 ₱48.62

311.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 ¥486

$0.23 ₱14.53

1239.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.27 ¥4,151

$4.46 ₱281

489.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.31 ₱82.8

-18.32%

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

$19.0K ¥3.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-10.69%

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

$16.3K ¥2.6M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-14.85%

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

$147 ¥23.3K

$120 ₱7,569

22.59%

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

$24.31 ¥3,840

$14.00 ₱882

73.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 ¥6,940

$27.54 ₱1,734

59.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ¥8,195

$32.33 ₱2,035

60.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.83 ¥2,028

$6.65 ₱419

92.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 ¥1,290

$5.65 ₱356

44.60%

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

$318 ¥50.3K

$275 ₱17.3K

15.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,203 ¥980.0K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-21.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 ¥7,880

$49.33 ₱3,106

1.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ¥3,941

$25.24 ₱1,589

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.99 ¥7,108

$77.0 ₱4,846

-41.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 ¥10.4K

$57.2 ₱3,601

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ¥82.4K

$500 ₱31.5K

4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.7K

$309 ₱19.4K

5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 ¥175.9K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 ¥114.7K

$615 ₱38.7K

17.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,165 ¥658.0K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

44.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,745 ¥275.8K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-8.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 ¥238.4K

$346 ₱21.8K

336.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

7.2

-73.61%

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

Last update for Tsu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tsu

$384 30.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 46.4% $178

Accommodation & Living

Tsu

$327 25.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 5.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tsu

$216 17%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 25% $54

Eating Out

Tsu

$113 8.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 22.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Tsu

$84 6.6%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 12.2% $10

Getting Around

Tsu

$77 6.1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 79.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tsu

$68 5.4%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 36.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $521 in Tsu and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsu pays 336% 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: $18.00 in Tsu vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tsu

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h behind Tsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

279,241

964,169

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tsu Cebu 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tsu
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

Tsu vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 336% higher in Tsu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $521 in Tsu versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,269 per month in Tsu versus $918 in Cebu – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 315% less than in Tsu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,269 in Tsu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Tsu. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tsu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tsu 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.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Tsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.