Cost of Living in Cebu

Cebu's rental market is centered on condominiums, with the prime digital nomad districts being IT Park, Cebu Business Park, and Lahug. In IT Park -- the tech and BPO hub -- fully furnished studios of 20-28 sqm rent for PHP 21,000-23,000 ($375-$410) per month, while one-bedroom units of 30-45 sqm run PHP 30,000-36,000 ($535-$645). Cebu Business Park commands a slight premium, with furnished one-bedrooms at PHP 33,000-38,000 ($590-$680) and two-bedrooms reaching PHP 60,000-70,000 ($1,070-$1,250). For better value, Lahug and Banilad offer furnished studios from PHP 16,000-20,000 ($285-$360) and one-bedrooms from PHP 23,000-30,000 ($410-$535), with easy jeepney or motorbike access to IT Park. Mandaue and Mabolo are the most budget-friendly, with furnished studios starting at PHP 16,000-18,000 ($285-$320). Over on Mactan Island, standard condos near Mactan Newtown start around PHP 23,000-30,000 ($410-$535) for studios, though beachfront or resort-style units at places like The Reef can jump to PHP 55,000-65,000 ($980-$1,160). Most landlords require two months' security deposit plus one month advance, and minimum lease terms are typically one year, though some buildings offer six-month leases at a slight premium.

Cebu is one of Southeast Asia's most affordable cities for eating out, with Filipino cuisine that ranges from humble carinderia turo-turo joints to world-famous lechon restaurants. A rice-and-viand plate at a neighborhood carinderia costs just PHP 60-120 ($1.10-$2.15), while street food stalls at Larsian BBQ near Fuente Osmena serve pork and chicken skewers for PHP 10-40 ($0.18-$0.70) each -- a full grilled dinner with rice rarely exceeds PHP 150-300 ($2.70-$5.35) per person. For the city's iconic dish, head to Rico's Lechon or Zubuchon for roast pork at around PHP 990 per kilo ($17.70), or try the cheaper Carcar-style lechon from market vendors at PHP 800-900/kg ($14.30-$16.10). Carinderias serve classic Filipino dishes like adobo, sinigang, and tinola for PHP 80-150 ($1.45-$2.70) per meal, while fast food combos at Jollibee or McDonald's run PHP 200-250 ($3.55-$4.45). Sugbo Mercado, the popular night market at IT Park open Thursday-Sunday evenings, offers an enormous range of grilled seafood, sisig, and fusion street food for PHP 100-250 ($1.80-$4.45) per dish. A mid-range restaurant dinner for two with drinks costs PHP 1,200-1,800 ($21.45-$32.15), while upscale restaurants in Cebu Business Park or Crossroads run PHP 2,500-4,000 ($44.65-$71.45) for two.

Cebu offers a strong mix of modern supermarkets and traditional wet markets that keep grocery costs remarkably low. The major chains -- SM Supermarket (at SM City Cebu and SM Seaside), Robinsons Supermarket, Metro Retail (formerly Metro Gaisano, a Cebu-born chain), and Puregold -- stock everything from local staples to imported goods at consistent prices. A kilo of white rice costs PHP 56-65 ($1.00-$1.16), a dozen large eggs PHP 120-135 ($2.15-$2.40), chicken breast PHP 275-295 ($4.90-$5.25) per kilo, and local pork PHP 250-380 ($4.45-$6.80) per kilo. Bread runs PHP 73-90 ($1.30-$1.60) for 500g, fresh milk PHP 104-130 ($1.85-$2.30) per liter, and bananas -- abundant and local -- just PHP 75-90 ($1.35-$1.60) per kilo. Imported items carry a steep markup: apples cost PHP 190-215 ($3.40-$3.85) per kilo, cheese PHP 540-660 ($9.65-$11.80) per kilo, and a mid-range bottle of wine PHP 400+ ($7.15+). Local beer from the supermarket runs PHP 69-75 ($1.25-$1.35) for a 500ml bottle, making it among the cheapest in Southeast Asia. For household essentials, SM Markets Online now offers same-day delivery in Metro Cebu, a convenient option for remote workers.

Cebu's public transport network runs on jeepneys, buses, taxis, and ride-hailing apps, giving digital nomads several budget tiers to choose from. Traditional jeepneys remain the cheapest way to get around, with a base fare of PHP 13 ($0.23) for the first four kilometers and PHP 2-3 per additional kilometer -- most rides across the city cost PHP 13-25 ($0.23-0.45). Modernized air-conditioned e-jeepneys on popular routes like SM City to IT Park or Ayala to Capitol charge slightly more at PHP 15-20 ($0.27-0.36) and accept cashless payments via GCash. MyBus, Cebu's air-conditioned city bus service, connects Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay with fares of PHP 25-50 ($0.45-0.89) depending on distance, and a dedicated BRT system with a flat PHP 15 fare is expected to launch its pilot phase on a 13-kilometer route from South Road Properties to IT Park. For ride-hailing, GrabCar charges a base fare of PHP 40-50 plus PHP 15-18 per kilometer, with typical cross-city trips running PHP 150-350 ($2.70-6.25); Angkas motorcycle taxis are faster through Cebu's notoriously congested streets at PHP 60-180 ($1.07-3.21) per ride and are a lifesaver during peak hours of 7-9 AM and 5-7 PM when traffic can double journey times.

The Philippines' three major mobile operators -- Globe, Smart (including TNT), and DITO Telecommunity -- all have strong coverage across Metro Cebu, and prepaid SIM cards are available everywhere from the airport to corner sari-sari stores for PHP 50-100 ($0.89-1.79). Globe's Go+99 promo delivers 20 GB of data with unlimited texts for seven days at just PHP 99 ($1.77), while their tourist SIM offers 25 GB for 14 days at PHP 400 ($7.14). Smart's prepaid tourist bundles range from 4-36 GB priced at PHP 440-2,000 ($7.86-35.71) with validities of 7-30 days. DITO, the aggressive newcomer, offers unlimited 5G data plans starting at PHP 299 ($5.34) per week or PHP 999 ($17.84) per month with 50 GB of 4G fallback data -- and DITO actually recorded the fastest average download speeds in Cebu City at 141.7 Mbps. For a monthly mobile data budget, most nomads spend PHP 400-1,000 ($7-18) on rolling weekly promos, which provide more than enough data for hotspot use as a backup connection. Home broadband has improved dramatically with fiber now widely available across Cebu's urban areas: Globe GFiber starts at PHP 1,499 ($26.77) for 300 Mbps, PLDT Fiber at PHP 1,599 ($28.55) for 150-300 Mbps, and Converge FiberX at PHP 1,599 ($28.55) for up to 400 Mbps. Average fixed broadband speeds in Cebu City sit at a respectable 112.6 Mbps download and 93 Mbps upload with 30ms latency.

Cebu offers solid healthcare at a fraction of Western prices, with three major private hospitals forming the backbone of expat medical care: Cebu Doctors' University Hospital, Chong Hua Hospital (JCI-accredited and the most popular with foreigners), and UC Medical Center. A general practitioner consultation at a private hospital runs PHP 500-800 ($9-14), while specialists like cardiologists and dermatologists charge PHP 800-2,300 ($14-41) depending on the facility and doctor's seniority. Dental care is remarkably affordable -- a basic cleaning costs PHP 800-1,200 ($14-21) and a full checkup with oral exam, X-rays, and cleaning runs about PHP 1,650 ($29) at clinics like Green Apple Dental or Affinity Dental. Private hospitals require upfront payment or a deposit before treatment, so always carry cash or a credit card. Diagnostic work is cheap too: a chest X-ray costs around $13, an ultrasound roughly $26, and comprehensive blood panels run $100-136. English-speaking doctors are the norm in all major hospitals, and communication is rarely an issue.

Most passport holders enter the Philippines visa-free for 30 days, extendable at the Bureau of Immigration for remarkably low fees -- the first 29-day extension costs about PHP 4,060 ($73), and you can keep renewing month by month up to 36 months total for non-visa-required nationals. After 59 days you will need an ACR I-Card (Alien Certificate of Registration, around PHP 4,000/$71). Staying a full year on tourist visa extensions costs roughly PHP 34,780 ($620) in total fees. For longer commitments, the SRRV retirement visa now accepts applicants from age 40 (lowered from 50 in September 2025) with deposits of $15,000-50,000 depending on age and pension status. The Philippines also signed Executive Order No. 86 in April 2025, creating a dedicated Digital Nomad Visa offering 12-month stays (renewable once to 24 months) for those earning at least $24,000 annually from foreign sources. On taxes, foreigners working remotely for overseas clients generally are not taxed on that income by the Philippines, though the BIR can technically argue that work performed on Philippine soil is Philippine-sourced -- most nomads on tourist visas fly under the radar, but it is a gray area worth understanding.