Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,276 in Wakayama, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Wakayama versus $915 in Cebu.

Wakayama $1,276
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,031 in Wakayama versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Wakayama $2,031
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,785 in Wakayama versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Wakayama $2,785
Cebu $1,921

Living in Wakayama is roughly 39% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Wakayama 6% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,022

$3.05 ₱192

112.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 ¥4,932

$24.00 ₱1,511

30.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥773

$3.99 ₱251

22.56%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$2.50 ₱157

-1.60%

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

$1.25 ¥197

$1.54 ₱97.1

-18.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$0.50 ₱31.37

72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥506

$1.78 ₱112

79.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$2.17 ₱136

-14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$2.00 ₱126

-21.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥242

$1.37 ₱86.2

11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$1.03 ₱64.9

314.56%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥334

$2.03 ₱128

3.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,534

$10.20 ₱642

57.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$4.45 ₱280

58.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 ¥2,701

$7.67 ₱483

122.95%

Apples (1kg)

$8.20 ¥1,296

$3.31 ₱208

147.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ¥478

$1.46 ₱91.8

106.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$2.32 ₱146

121.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.94 ¥1,255

$1.49 ₱94.0

432.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$2.34 ₱147

71.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.59 ¥726

$1.94 ₱122

136.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.16 ₱73.0

-1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.68 ₱42.89

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$2.99 ₱188

33.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$6.24 ₱393

49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ¥393

$1.23 ₱77.3

102.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$1.73 ₱109

24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$0.23 ₱14.36

552.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,496

$12.34 ₱777

335.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$0.79 ₱49.96

288.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥460

$0.22 ₱13.86

1222.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 ¥2,478

$4.54 ₱286

245.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.32 ₱82.9

-19.70%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

4.64%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-22.48%

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

$117 ¥18.4K

$119 ₱7,464

-1.53%

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

$23.45 ¥3,705

$14.22 ₱896

64.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 ¥4,968

$27.47 ₱1,730

14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,109

$32.31 ₱2,034

58.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ¥1,771

$5.40 ₱340

107.59%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$276 ₱17.4K

104.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$7,866 ₱495.3K

88.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ¥7,800

$49.37 ₱3,108

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 ¥5,596

$24.58 ₱1,548

44.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,385

$76.6 ₱4,825

-22.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ¥15.6K

$58.9 ₱3,706

67.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$503 ₱31.7K

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$305 ₱19.2K

10.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ¥172.7K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.5K

$632 ₱39.8K

16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 ¥664.5K

$2,870 ₱180.7K

46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$1,877 ₱118.2K

-6.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,965 ¥626.4K

$336 ₱21.1K

1080.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

7.2

-76.81%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$382 30%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 45.2% $173

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$337 26.4%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 9.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$172 13.5%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 6.6% $11

Eating Out

Wakayama

$124 9.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 29.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$109 8.6%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 13.8% $15

Getting Around

Wakayama

$77 6.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 80.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$74 5.8%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 41.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Wakayama and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 1080% 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: $31.00 in Wakayama vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

1 h behind Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

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 20, 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 20, 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

Wakayama Cebu 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Wakayama
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

Wakayama vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1080% higher in Wakayama, 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: $526 in Wakayama versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,276 per month in Wakayama versus $915 in Cebu – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 336% less than in Wakayama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,276 in Wakayama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Wakayama. 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 Wakayama, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wakayama 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 39% less than in Wakayama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.