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What would be left over if you lived here instead?
The average Social Security check is $2,071 and Medicare Part B takes $203 of it before it arrives. Put your own numbers in below and see what the same life costs in Cebu.
What would you keep every month?
| Now | In Cebu | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | ||
| Power and water | ||
| Food | ||
| Total |
Fifteen minutes, free, with someone who lives here.
American figures are national medians — change any box to your own. Cebu figures are ours, checked August 2026, and every one is sourced on the cost-of-living page. Internet, a phone, getting around, health cover and visa fees are not in either column.
Why only three lines
Housing, power and food are the three an American can state from memory, and they are the three that move most when you cross an ocean. Comparing those and nothing else keeps both sides honest — the same categories, measured the same way.
The Cebu column is a range on every line and always will be. Rent here varies threefold depending on the neighbourhood, and the electricity bill roughly doubles depending on how much air conditioning you run. A single number would be tidier and would be a lie. The defaults for the American side are national medians, so if you live somewhere cheap you already pay less than the box says — change it, that is what it is for.
The one thing this cannot tell you is which end of those ranges you would land on. That depends on the neighbourhood, the building, what you are willing to live without, and what the owner agrees to. Which is the honest reason to talk to somebody who is standing here.
