Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utsunomiya and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,212 in Utsunomiya, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Utsunomiya
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Utsunomiya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Utsunomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,212

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,212 in Utsunomiya versus $918 in Cebu.

Utsunomiya $1,212
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,948 in Utsunomiya versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Utsunomiya $1,948
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,685 in Utsunomiya versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Utsunomiya $2,685
Cebu $1,900

Living in Utsunomiya is roughly 32% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Utsunomiya 10% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 ¥965

$3.09 ₱194

97.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.09 ¥2,701

$24.22 ₱1,525

-29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥745

$3.92 ₱247

20.41%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥556

$2.51 ₱158

40.24%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.59 ₱100

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.53 ₱33.43

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 ¥488

$1.78 ₱112

73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.17 ₱137

-11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.92 ₱121

-28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 ¥271

$1.36 ₱85.4

26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 ¥883

$1.01 ₱63.5

453.47%

Eggs

$2.22 ¥350

$2.03 ₱128

9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 ¥1,780

$9.86 ₱621

14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 ¥1,075

$4.39 ₱277

54.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 ¥2,660

$7.60 ₱479

121.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ¥728

$3.30 ₱208

39.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥372

$1.39 ₱87.8

69.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 ¥693

$2.33 ₱147

87.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 ¥848

$1.50 ₱94.3

257.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 ¥539

$2.36 ₱149

44.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 ¥470

$1.90 ₱119

56.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥190

$1.19 ₱74.9

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$0.63 ₱39.71

20.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 ¥623

$3.00 ₱189

31.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.52 ¥1,504

$6.03 ₱379

57.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥270

$1.23 ₱77.7

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 ¥417

$1.75 ₱110

50.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ¥249

$0.25 ₱15.86

532.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ¥8,670

$12.64 ₱796

334.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥484

$0.77 ₱48.62

298.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 ¥500

$0.23 ₱14.53

1273.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 ¥2,975

$4.46 ₱281

322.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.31 ₱82.8

-19.08%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.99%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-19.84%

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

$146 ¥23.0K

$120 ₱7,569

21.05%

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

$21.91 ¥3,461

$14.00 ₱882

56.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 ¥4,808

$27.54 ₱1,734

10.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,234

$32.33 ₱2,035

61.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.79 ¥2,020

$6.65 ₱419

92.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 ¥2,029

$5.65 ₱356

127.26%

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

$524 ¥82.8K

$275 ₱17.3K

90.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ¥2.9M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

129.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ¥8,712

$49.33 ₱3,106

11.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.36 ¥5,113

$25.24 ₱1,589

28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 ¥10.4K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥11.3K

$57.2 ₱3,601

24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ¥80.4K

$500 ₱31.5K

1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥47.1K

$309 ₱19.4K

-3.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 ¥148.4K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-12.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ¥126.9K

$615 ₱38.7K

30.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,897 ¥615.7K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

35.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,781 ¥281.4K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-7.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

7.2

-68.75%

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

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Utsunomiya

$325 26.8%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 36.7% $119

Accommodation & Living

Utsunomiya

$298 24.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 3.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utsunomiya

$198 16.3%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 18.2% $36

Eating Out

Utsunomiya

$132 10.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 33.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Utsunomiya

$101 8.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 7% $7.1

Getting Around

Utsunomiya

$80 6.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 80.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Utsunomiya

$78 6.4%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 43.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Utsunomiya and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Utsunomiya vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Utsunomiya

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

1 h behind Utsunomiya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,217

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 →

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Between locations

Utsunomiya Cebu 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Utsunomiya
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

Utsunomiya vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,818 in Utsunomiya and $1,377 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: $509 in Utsunomiya versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,212 per month in Utsunomiya versus $918 in Cebu – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 334% less than in Utsunomiya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,212 in Utsunomiya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Utsunomiya. 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 Utsunomiya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Utsunomiya 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 32% less than in Utsunomiya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.