:Cost of living in Cebu City.

I will give you here an example of what house hold expenses are here in Cebu, but this is just a gauge for you to use as you can live cheaper or more extravagant depending on your income, savings or just want kind of a lifestyle you want. One thing for sure, what ever the the lifestyle you choose, it will be much, much cheaper than back home.

We rent a 3 bedroom house with 2 baths, large eat in kitchen, sala, family room and a den. There is also an open garage or car park, open meaning, it is an area attached to the house with a roof and forward hollow brick wall. it is open on the sides. The house is of good size and constructed of hollow cement block and than plastered with a cement fine sand mixture to give the exterior and interior walls a smooth attractive finish that is than painted. If you decide to build a house here, I strongly suggest that you do not use the hollow block method commonly used in the Philippines, but solid walls as they are much stronger. We live in a gated compound with a guard 24 hours. There are about 15 other houses here of different and people with many different incomes, but basically a upper middle class community. We have a modest front yard with small lawn and many flowers. In the rear part of the yard in the back of the house we have vegetable garden and what they call here a dirty kitchen. That does not mean the kitchen is dirty {that is what an outside kitchen is called in the Philippines}! It is just an outside kitchen that we can also use. It has a double burner, a B Q, fridge and sink. Our helper a Filipina woman of 20 years old will also use that kitchen when she cooks the dried fish that Filipinos are so fond of eating. She is NOT allowed to cook the dried fish in the regular kitchen inside as it stinks to high heaven when it is cooked. The smell reminds me of road kill that had been on the side of the road baking in the sun for weeks! And speaking of our helper, she is what you call an all-around meaning she does a little bit of everything from laundry, cooking to gardening. Her salary is 3000 Peso per month. Many people especially Filipinos, pay less, like only 2000 per month. She is a live-in with her own small room, but nice and comfortable with a fan. With live-in maids here, their room and board is included. She eats what we eat as many people here in the Philippines who have helpers do not let them eat as well as themselves. I think this is despicable as they are human beings and not slaves. She is treated well by us and has one day off a week. If she gets sick and needs a doctor or medicine we pay for it as is also the norm here, but this does not happen much. Live in help is very, very affordable, but not necessary. I consider it a perk because the cost is so reasonable. Many foreigners and Filipinos alike have not one, but two helpers.

You can live as modest or lavish as you wish here in Cebu or other parts of the Philippines depending on your income and or savings. One thing is for sure, what ever your income is; you will be living many times higher than you could ever live in the U. S. or other western countries. Our rent is 14,000 a month or about $300.00. Below is an estimate of our monthly expenses for 4 people

Remember this total is for 4 people and we live well and buy a lot of imported food from the U S and premium meats and vegetables. You can live on much less than this depending on your lifestyle and how many people in your household in addition to what kind of dwelling you live in.

Cost Of Living In Cebu