Budgets · 2026
Cost of living in the Philippines.
Not Numbeo averages. Ranges based on verified utility rates, real rental listings, and actual prices. Updated for 2026.
Monthly scenarios
Three honest budgets.
Assumes renting, cooking at least half the time, and living in the city proper.
Solo, modest
₱20k–38k
per month
- Rent ₱5,000–15,000
- Electricity ₱1,500–3,500
- Water ₱250–500
- Internet ₱888–1,699
- Food ₱6,000–10,000
- Transport ₱1,500–3,000
- Phone ₱300–500
- Misc ₱2,000–4,000
BPO worker, student, single professional outside IT Park.
Couple, comfortable
₱35k–55k
per month
- Rent ₱12,000–22,000
- Electricity ₱3,000–5,500
- Water ₱350–700
- Internet ₱1,299–1,999
- Food ₱10,000–16,000
- Transport ₱3,000–5,000
- Phone (2x) ₱600–1,000
- Misc ₱3,000–5,000
Dual-income couple sharing a 1BR in Lahug or Banilad.
Remote worker
₱50k–85k
per month
- Rent ₱18,000–35,000
- Electricity ₱4,000–7,000
- Water ₱400–700
- Internet ₱1,699–2,999
- Food ₱14,000–22,000
- Transport ₱4,000–8,000
- Coworking ₱3,000–6,000
- Misc ₱5,000–8,000
Freelancer earning USD/EUR, living in IT Park or Lanang.
City comparison
Same lifestyle, different city.
How costs shift between Cebu and Davao for matched expenses.
| Expense | Cebu City | Davao City |
|---|---|---|
| Studio rent (mid-range) | ₱10,000–18,000 | ₱6,000–14,000 |
| Electricity (no AC) | ₱1,500–2,500 | ₱1,200–2,000 |
| Electricity (AC 6–8 hrs) | ₱3,500–5,500 | ₱2,800–4,200 |
| Water | ₱259–700 | ₱200–500 |
| Internet (fiber) | ₱888–2,999 | ₱888–2,999 |
| Carinderia meal | ₱60–100 | ₱50–80 |
| Restaurant (casual) | ₱200–400 | ₱150–350 |
| Grab (5km) | ₱120–200 | ₱100–180 |
| Electricity rate | VECO · ₱13.74/kWh | DLPC · ₱12.30/kWh |
Rates as of early 2026. Based on VECO/DLPC schedules, Facebook Marketplace, Lamudi, and direct listings.
The numbers, dated and sourced
Our own Cebu data, not crowd averages.
Electricity is the single most volatile line in a Cebu budget. We track the VECO rate cycle by cycle — every point sourced, the full table beside the chart, no interpolation between observed cycles. Rent is the largest line; here is the sourced range by area.
▸ Show the data table
| Billing cycle | ₱/kWh | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Feb–Mar 2025 cycle | ₱11.13 | Philstar / The Freeman |
| Aug–Sep 2025 cycle | ₱11.60 | Philstar / The Freeman |
| Sep–Oct 2025 cycle (2025 peak) | ₱12.51 | SunStar Cebu |
| Oct–Nov 2025 cycle | ₱11.51 | Philstar / The Freeman |
| January 2026 | ₱11.72 | Newsline Philippines (single source — re-verify) |
| February 2026 (+₱0.35) | ₱12.79 | Philstar / The Freeman; SunStar Cebu |
| March 2026 | ₱12.36 | Visayan Electric official (stated in April announcement) |
| April 2026 (+₱0.21) | ₱12.57 | Visayan Electric official |
| May 2026 (+₱0.31) | ₱12.88 | Visayan Electric official, May 2026 cycle |
| June 2026 (+₱0.86, 2026 high) — named-secondary only | ₱13.74 | SunStar Cebu, 2026-06-28 (named secondary — Visayan Electric published no June peso figure) |
▸ Show the data table
| Segment | Low | Midpoint | High | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT Park / Cebu Business Park · Studio | ₱18,000 | ₱26,500 | ₱35,000 | — |
| IT Park / Cebu Business Park · 1BR | ₱25,000 | ₱40,000 | ₱55,000 | — |
| IT Park / Cebu Business Park · 2BR | ₱40,000 | ₱80,000 | ₱120,000 | — |
| Lahug · Studio | ₱14,000 | ₱19,500 | ₱25,000 | — |
| Lahug · 1BR | ₱20,000 | ₱27,500 | ₱35,000 | — |
| Banilad · Studio | ₱12,000 | ₱16,000 | ₱20,000 | — |
| Banilad · 1BR | ₱18,000 | ₱24,000 | ₱30,000 | — |
| Banilad · 2BR | ₱30,000 | ₱47,500 | ₱65,000 | — |
| Banilad · 3BR | ₱50,000 | ₱60,000 | ₱70,000 | — |
| Mabolo · Studio | ₱10,000 | ₱14,000 | ₱18,000 | — |
| Mabolo · 1BR | ₱20,000 | ₱27,500 | ₱35,000 | — |
| Mabolo · 2BR | ₱28,000 | ₱37,000 | ₱46,000 | — |
| Mabolo · 3BR | ₱45,000 | ₱55,000 | ₱65,000 | — |
| Mandaue · Studio | ₱10,000 | ₱14,000 | ₱18,000 | — |
| Mandaue · 1BR | ₱17,000 | ₱26,000 | ₱35,000 | — |
| Mandaue · 2BR | ₱15,000 | ₱17,500 | ₱20,000 | — |
| Capitol / Colon · Studio | ₱5,000 | ₱8,500 | ₱12,000 | — |
| Capitol / Colon · Room | ₱3,500 | ₱5,750 | ₱8,000 | — |
| Talamban · Studio | ₱12,000 | ₱18,500 | ₱25,000 | — |
| Talamban · 1BR | ₱26,000 | ₱30,000 | ₱34,000 | — |
| Talamban · Room | ₱3,500 | ₱5,250 | ₱7,000 | — |
Full methodology, the four-tier source hierarchy, and the no-fabrication rule: /methodology .
Cite this dataset
Citation
LiveInPH. "Cebu Electricity Rate Series (VECO ₱/kWh) — monthly billing cycles" (2026-06). LiveInPH, https://liveinph.com/data/cebu-electricity-rate. Accessed 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Free to reuse, including commercially and by AI systems, on one condition: attribute “LiveInPH, https://liveinph.com” and link the dataset page. The CSV carries the same provenance in its header comment.
Cite this dataset
Citation
LiveInPH. "Cebu Rent Baseline (editorial) — asking-rent ranges by neighborhood × unit type" (2026-05). LiveInPH, https://liveinph.com/data/cebu-rent-index. Accessed 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
Free to reuse, including commercially and by AI systems, on one condition: attribute “LiveInPH, https://liveinph.com” and link the dataset page. The CSV carries the same provenance in its header comment.
Every dataset behind this page, with its limitations published beside it: the open-data catalog .
What moves the total
Four drivers of your budget.
Air conditioning is the biggest variable
No AC: ₱1,500–2,500/mo. Window-type AC 6–8 hrs/night: ₱3,500–5,500. Inverter saves 20–30%, but most rentals have the cheaper window type.
Neighborhood determines rent, not unit size
25 sqm studio in IT Park: ₱15,000–20,000. Same size in Mabolo: ₱7,000–12,000. In Mandaue: ₱5,000–8,000. Same unit, different address.
Cooking vs eating out: 40–60% swing
Market groceries: ₱5,000–8,000/mo. Carinderia daily: ₱6,000–9,000. Restaurants regularly: ₱12,000–20,000. Most people mix.
Transport depends on location choice
Near work: ₱500–1,500/mo. Far: ₱3,000–5,000+. Davao is always a transport cost. Cebu can be walkable if you pay more rent.
Deep dives
Every cost line, in detail.
Each line in the budget tables above has its own deep guide. Verified rates, dated sources, edge cases. Start with whatever line is your biggest unknown.
Whole-budget guides
Start here
Utilities
VECO · MCWD · fiber · gas
VECO electricity
Per-kWh rates, AC math, deposit refund
Read guideCut your VECO bill
Setpoints, timers, phantom load
Read guideAircon sizing & cost
HP, brand tiers, R32 vs R410A
Read guideMCWD water bill
Tier rates, upland supply
Read guideInternet by area
Converge vs PLDT vs Globe
Read guideBrownouts & backup power
UPS, power station, generator tiers
Read guideLPG cooking gas
Tank sizes, refill prices, delivery
Read guideExplore