For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,192 in York, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in York and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,192 in York versus $934 in Cebu.
York $2,192
Cebu $934
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in York versus $1,415 in Cebu.
York $3,458
Cebu $1,415
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,723 in York versus $1,896 in Cebu.
York $4,723
Cebu $1,896
🌍
Living in York is roughly 135% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: York is 64% above, Cebu is 30% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
York
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.67£20.16
$3.03₱190
780.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.8£66.4
$23.48₱1,473
273.94%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.48£7.92
$4.09₱256
156.23%
Cappuccino
$5.02£3.80
$2.52₱158
99.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78£2.10
$1.54₱96.9
80.52%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73£1.30
$0.49₱30.98
253.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.65£5.02
$1.79₱112
271.51%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77£5.12
$2.26₱142
199.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
York
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.65£1.24
$1.95₱122
-15.38%
White Bread(500g)
$1.57£1.19
$1.43₱89.7
9.79%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.04£1.54
$1.02₱63.8
100.00%
Eggs
$3.82£2.88
$2.06₱129
85.44%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.90£6.73
$9.81₱615
-9.28%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.28£6.26
$4.61₱289
79.61%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.82£7.42
$7.70₱483
27.53%
Apples(1kg)
$3.33£2.52
$3.31₱207
0.60%
Banana(1kg)
$1.95£1.48
$1.45₱90.9
34.48%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.46£1.86
$2.36₱148
4.24%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.76£3.60
$1.54₱96.4
209.09%
Potato(1kg)
$3.08£2.32
$2.36₱148
30.51%
Onion(1kg)
$1.56£1.18
$1.99₱125
-21.61%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.52£1.15
$1.15₱72.1
32.17%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45£1.10
$0.67₱42.15
116.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.22£17.54
$3.00₱188
674.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.84£8.95
$6.35₱398
86.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.18£3.16
$1.31₱81.9
219.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.69£3.55
$1.73₱108
171.10%
🚌 Getting Around
York
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.98£3.01
$0.25₱15.78
1492.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$114£86.2
$12.65₱793
801.98%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.55£3.44
$0.74₱46.32
514.86%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.66£2.01
$0.21₱13.11
1166.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.50£14.74
$4.33₱271
350.35%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.02£1.53
$1.33₱83.5
51.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K£29.1K
$21.8K₱1.4M
76.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K£30.3K
$19.4K₱1.2M
106.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
York
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$195£147
$121₱7,563
61.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.43£12.42
$14.45₱907
13.70%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.68£35.28
$28.29₱1,774
65.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
York
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$48.76£36.85
$32.68₱2,050
49.20%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.11£18.22
$6.39₱401
277.31%
Cinema Ticket
$13.39£10.12
$5.46₱342
145.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
York
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,577£1,192
$273₱17.1K
476.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.3K£12.3K
$8,156₱511.5K
100.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
York
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.1£45.42
$49.57₱3,109
21.26%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.33£27.46
$24.87₱1,560
46.08%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$78.3£59.2
$76.6₱4,804
2.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.3£57.6
$59.3₱3,717
28.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
York
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,234£933
$506₱31.7K
144.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$927£701
$309₱19.4K
199.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,495£1,885
$1,052₱66.0K
137.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,931£1,459
$619₱38.8K
212.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,018£3,792
$2,915₱182.9K
72.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,867£2,922
$1,867₱117.1K
107.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
York
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,500£2,645
$341₱21.4K
926.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.61
7.2
-22.08%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for York: October 5, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
York
$927 42.2%
Cebu
$309 33.5% ↓ 66.6%$618
🍽Eating Out
York
$370 16.8%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 76.1%$282
🛒Groceries & Markets
York
$305 13.9%
Cebu
$210 22.7% ↓ 31%$95
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
York
$258 11.8%
Cebu
$163 17.7% ↓ 36.7%$95
🚌Getting Around
York
$148 6.7%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 89.6%$132
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
York
$113 5.1%
Cebu
$95 10.2% ↓ 16.2%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
York
$76 3.4%
Cebu
$44 4.7% ↓ 42.3%$32
🏠Accommodation & Living
York
$1.9K 40.1%
Cebu
$619 32.4% ↓ 68%$1.3K
🍽Eating Out
York
$1.2K 24.9%
Cebu
$288 15.1% ↓ 75.9%$911
🛒Groceries & Markets
York
$687 14.3%
Cebu
$493 25.8% ↓ 28.3%$194
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
York
$275 5.7%
Cebu
$178 9.3% ↓ 35.2%$97
🚌Getting Around
York
$304 6.3%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 89.7%$272
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
York
$251 5.2%
Cebu
$210 11% ↓ 16.2%$41
🎉Sport & Entertainment
York
$175 3.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 46.6%$82
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,234 in York and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰York pays 926% 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: $88.0 in York vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
York vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than York?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: York or Cebu?
Average pay runs 926% higher in York, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between York and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,234 in York versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in York and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,192 per month in York versus $934 in Cebu – a 135% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 802% less than in York. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in York or in Cebu?
At $934 in Cebu versus $2,192 in York, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in York. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is York or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in York, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, York or Cebu?
Safety-wise, York 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in York. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.