Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,082 in Varese, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Varese
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Varese Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Varese

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,082

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,082 in Varese versus $918 in Cebu.

Varese $2,082
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,466 in Varese versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Varese $3,466
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,849 in Varese versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Varese $4,849
Cebu $1,900

Living in Varese is roughly 127% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varese is 54% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 €19.63

$3.09 ₱194

614.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €89.9

$24.22 ₱1,525

317.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.37

$3.92 ₱247

254.85%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.95

$2.51 ₱158

-12.35%

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

$3.50 €3.11

$1.59 ₱100

120.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.51

$0.53 ₱33.43

218.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 €5.84

$1.78 ₱112

268.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 €5.87

$2.17 ₱137

204.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.92 ₱121

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.30

$1.36 ₱85.4

90.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$1.01 ₱63.5

240.59%

Eggs

$5.11 €4.55

$2.03 ₱128

151.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.18 €27.73

$9.86 ₱621

216.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.41

$4.39 ₱277

192.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.34 €24.32

$7.60 ₱479

259.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.51

$3.30 ₱208

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.39 ₱87.8

100.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$2.33 ₱147

26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$1.50 ₱94.3

118.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.36 ₱149

10.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.90 ₱119

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.19 ₱74.9

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$0.63 ₱39.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 €7.12

$3.00 ₱189

167.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$6.03 ₱379

44.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.23 ₱77.7

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.75 ₱110

-7.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.29

$0.25 ₱15.86

928.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.71 €44.21

$12.64 ₱796

293.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 €4.98

$0.77 ₱48.62

627.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.23 ₱14.53

891.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.25 €34.92

$4.46 ₱281

780.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.31 ₱82.8

63.36%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

71.99%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

79.71%

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

$220 €196

$120 ₱7,569

83.20%

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

$12.94 €11.51

$14.00 ₱882

-7.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 €28.73

$27.54 ₱1,734

17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.89

$32.33 ₱2,035

70.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 €21.91

$6.65 ₱419

270.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 €9.94

$5.65 ₱356

97.70%

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

$733 €652

$275 ₱17.3K

166.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,069 €6,288

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-10.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €95.3

$49.33 ₱3,106

117.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 €50.5

$25.24 ₱1,589

124.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 €117

$77.0 ₱4,846

70.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €148

$57.2 ₱3,601

190.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 €838

$500 ₱31.5K

88.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €631

$309 ₱19.4K

129.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,528

$1,078 ₱67.9K

59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,426

$615 ₱38.7K

160.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 €2,246

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-12.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,519

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-10.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,127

$346 ₱21.8K

591.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

7.2

-48.19%

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

Last update for Varese: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Varese

$709 34.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 56.5% $400

Groceries & Markets

Varese

$434 20.8%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 52.6% $228

Eating Out

Varese

$311 15%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 71.7% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varese

$266 12.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 39.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Varese

$208 10%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 54.8% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Varese

$77 3.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 43.6% $34

Getting Around

Varese

$77 3.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 79.8% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $942 in Varese and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 591% 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: $101 in Varese vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Varese

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

6 h ahead of Varese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,511

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Varese Cebu 11,050 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Varese
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

Varese vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 591% higher in Varese, 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: $942 in Varese versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,082 per month in Varese versus $918 in Cebu – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 293% less than in Varese. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,082 in Varese, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Varese. 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 Varese, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varese 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 127% less than in Varese. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.