Cebu data console

Every number a Cebu move turns on, read live from a sourced ledger

Latest data as of 2026-08 · Console updated 2026-08 · Every figure reads live from a published ledger

At a glance

The headline numbers, live

Five figures that decide most of a Cebu budget, each read straight from its ledger.

as of 2026-08

■ +0.4%Electricity · VECO ₱14.96/kWh August 2026 (+₱0.06) Water · MCWD ₱259.16 first 10 cu.m minimum USD → PHP · BSP ₱61.583 per US$1 · 2026-07-10 Studio rent · editorial ₱5k–35k asking range across areas, not a median ▼ -24.1%Food inflation · Region VII 10.7% YoY · 2026-07

What changed — latest vs prior observation

VECO residential rate ₱14.9/kWh → ₱14.96/kWh · 2026-08

Region VII headline inflation 10.1% → 8.7% · 2026-07

Region VII food inflation 14.1% → 10.7% · 2026-07

Pag-IBIG MP2 dividend 7.1% → 7.12% · 2025

What a month costs

Three monthly budgets, line by line

Lean, modest and comfortable — editorial planning bands, with electricity priced from the live VECO rate.

Lean solo month (no AC, outer neighborhoods)

Category	Range	Notes
Rent (budget room, Capitol/Colon or outer Mandaue)	₱5,000–₱9,000	No AC, older building
Electricity (VECO)	₱1,500–₱2,500	No AC, fans only
Water (MCWD)	₱260–₱400
Internet (entry fiber)	₱1,499–₱1,699
Food	₱6,000–₱9,000	Carinderia + cooking
Transport	₱1,000–₱2,000	Jeepney ₱13 base
Phone	₱300–₱600
Misc	₱1,000–₱2,000
Total	₱16,559–₱27,199

Modest solo month (inverter AC, mid-tier area)

Category	Range	Notes
Rent (studio, Mabolo/Banilad/Lahug)	₱12,000–₱18,000	Inverter AC, newer building
Electricity (VECO)	₱2,250–₱3,150	1.5HP inverter AC 8 hrs/day
Water (MCWD)	₱350–₱700
Internet (Converge/PLDT fiber)	₱1,499–₱1,999
Food	₱8,000–₱12,000	Cooking + carinderia + some dining out
Transport	₱2,000–₱4,000	Jeepney + Grab
Phone	₱500–₱800
HMO (self-pay)	₱800–₱2,500
Misc	₱2,000–₱4,000
Total	₱29,399–₱47,149

Comfortable solo month (IT Park / CBP condo)

Category	Range	Notes
Rent (studio or 1BR, IT Park/CBP)	₱22,000–₱40,000	Solinea, Avida, Baseline
Condo dues	₱2,000–₱8,000
Electricity (VECO)	₱3,850–₱5,000	2HP inverter AC 10 hrs/day
Water (MCWD)	₱500–₱900
Internet (1 Gbps fiber)	₱2,499–₱3,199
Food	₱12,000–₱18,000	Regular dining out
Transport	₱3,000–₱6,000	Grab-heavy
Phone	₱800–₱1,500
HMO	₱1,500–₱3,000
Misc / lifestyle	₱5,000–₱10,000	Gym, dining, Grab, leisure
Total	₱53,149–₱95,599

Cebu against Manila and Davao

	Cebu	Manila	Davao
Studio rent (mid-tier)	₱12,000–22,000	₱16,000–28,000	₱8,000–15,000
Electricity (₱/kWh)	14.96 VECO	11–12 Meralco	10–12 DLPC
Water (minimum)	₱259.16	₱290+ Maynilad	₱209 DCWD
Internet (fiber, mid)	₱1,499–1,999	₱1,499–2,199	₱1,499–1,999
Jeepney base fare	₱13	₱13	₱13
Typhoon exposure	In the belt	In the belt	Outside the belt

Cebu figures are live ledger reads; Manila and Davao are editorial reference bands for orientation.

What the meter costs to run

At ₱14.96/kWh (VECO, August 2026 (+₱0.06)), the 1.5hp inverter ac is the priciest line — about ₱4,021/month at 8h a day. Every bar is computed live from the current rate, not a stored figure.

▸ Show the data table

Estimated appliance running cost per month at the current electricity rate.
Appliance	Watts	Hrs/day	kWh/mo	₱/mo
1.5HP inverter AC	1120	8	268.8	₱4,021
Refrigerator	150	24	108.0	₱1,616
Water heater	3500	0.5	52.5	₱785
Rice cooker	700	1	21.0	₱314
LED TV	80	5	12.0	₱180
Electric fan	60	12	21.6	₱323

Electricity, water, internet

The utility ledgers

VECO is a real longitudinal series; MCWD is a tiered tariff; internet is an editorial plan table.

as of 2026-08

VECO residential rate has risen from ₱11.13/kWh (Feb '25) to ₱14.96/kWh (Aug '26) across 12 observed billing cycles.

▸ Show the data table

VECO residential all-in rate (₱/kWh) by observed billing cycle, with source per point.
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) — named-secondary only	₱13.74	SunStar Cebu, 2026-06-28 (named secondary — Visayan Electric published no June peso figure)
July 2026 (+₱1.16, 2026 high)	₱14.90	Visayan Electric, 2026-07-18 (primary — utility's own peso figure)
August 2026 (+₱0.06)	₱14.96	Visayan Electric, 2026-08-20 (primary — utility's own peso figure)

MCWD tiered water tariff

MCWD residential tariff by consumption tier.
Consumption tier	₱
First 10 cu.m (minimum charge)	₱259.16
11–20 cu.m (per cu.m)	₱28.64
21–30 cu.m (per cu.m)	₱33.71
31+ cu.m (per cu.m)	₱82.52

Source: MCWD via Philstar / The Freeman — final 10% tranche, effective 2026-04-01

What that is as a bill: a single household drawing about 15 cu.m a month pays roughly ₱402 — the ₱259.16 minimum for the first 10 cu.m plus 5 cu.m at ₱28.64/cu.m. Computed live from the tariff above.

Sourcing note. SOURCING GAP (disclosed 2026-07-12, previously undisclosed). MCWD publishes NO residential tariff schedule on its own website. Every peso figure in this ledger (minimum ₱259.16 / 10 cu.m.; tiers ₱28.64, ₱33.71, ₱82.52) is attributed to MCWD via NAMED SECONDARIES — Philstar / The Freeman (2026-03-28) and Cebu Daily News — not via a primary MCWD publication. The figures are stable and multiply-corroborated (Manila Bulletin, Manila Times), and re-verification on 2026-07-12 found no revision, but the absence of a primary tariff sheet is a real sourcing caveat and now ships rather than being papered over. To close it: obtain an MCWD-issued tariff sheet or a photographed residential bill.

Home internet (editorial plan bands)

Representative Cebu fiber plan bands (Converge / PLDT / Globe).
Plan	Speed	₱/mo
Entry fiber	35 Mbps	₱1,499
Standard fiber	300–500 Mbps	₱1,499–1,999
Gigabit fiber	1 Gbps	₱2,499–3,199

Editorial, not a rate ledger. ISP promo pricing moves too often to seal as a longitudinal series; these are the current plan bands as observed, not dated published figures.

Asking rent

Rent by neighborhood and unit

A sourced low–high range per segment with its arithmetic midpoint — an editorial baseline, not a measured index.

as of 2026-05

Cebu asking rents span ₱3,500–₱120,000/month across 21 neighborhood × unit-type segments — LiveInPH editorial baseline, not a measured index.

▸ Show the data table

Cebu rent baseline (editorial) — low/high asking-rent range and its arithmetic midpoint by neighborhood and unit type. No listing sample has been collected: n is null on every segment, so no median and no p25/p75 exist.
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	—

Editorial baseline, not a measured index. The bars are hand-written low–high asking-rent ranges with their arithmetic midpoint — never a sampled median, and no p25/p75 exists because no listings have been counted. A quarterly trend line appears only once two real listing samples are collected.

Where to live

Neighborhood scorecards

Rent band, what each area is best for, and the one thing to watch — a scorecard, deliberately not a radar.

IT Park & Cebu Business Park

₱15,000–35,000/mo

BPO workers wanting zero commuteRemote workers who like the center

Watch: Condo dues ₱2,000–8,000/mo on top of rent

Full guide →

Lahug

₱10,000–25,000/mo

IT Park commuters on a tighter budgetRenters who want older apartments or houses over condos

Watch: Upper roads are steep and flood-prone

Full guide →

Banilad

₱12,000–28,000/mo

Families wanting residential calmInternational-school families

Watch: Traffic on Gov. M. Cuenco Ave during rush

Full guide →

Mabolo

₱7,000–18,000/mo

BPO workers on a budget with short-commute toleranceKorean expats (Korean restaurant row on A.S. Fortuna)

Watch: Streets near Mahiga Creek flood during typhoons

Full guide →

Mandaue City

₱5,000–15,000/mo

Budget-first rentersWorkers at Mandaue manufacturing or Parkmall / Pacific Mall

Watch: Bridge-area traffic heading into Cebu City

Full guide →

Capitol & Colon (Downtown)

₱3,500–10,000/mo

Students and minimum-wage workersAbsolute lowest rent in the metro

Watch: Higher petty crime, especially at night around Colon Street

Full guide →

Talamban

₱5,000–14,000/mo

USC-Talamban studentsPeople wanting cooler weather and more space

Watch: MCWD water unreliable uphill — you'll need a tank or a building with a deep well

Full guide →

Where the areas sit

A relative locator, oriented on the IT Park BPO core. It reads the same neighborhood ledger as the scorecards, so distance and rent band line up with the cards above.

IT Park anchors the BPO core; rent bands ease with distance from it, and the trade every mover weighs is a lower rent against a longer ride back to the towers.

Rent band: under ₱10k ₱10–15k ₱15–22k ₱22k+ BPO core (IT Park)

▸ Show the data table

Cebu covered neighborhoods — approximate location (relative, not to scale), editorial rent band, and commute window to the IT Park BPO core. Positions from OpenStreetMap points.
Area	Rent band (₱/mo)	To IT Park (min)
IT Park & CBP · BPO core	₱15,000–₱35,000	0
Lahug	₱10,000–₱25,000	5–15
Mabolo	₱7,000–₱18,000	10–20
Banilad	₱12,000–₱28,000	15–25
Capitol / Colon	₱3,500–₱10,000	20–40
Mandaue	₱5,000–₱15,000	20–45
Talamban	₱5,000–₱14,000	25–45

Office market context

Cebu's two prime office submarkets carry lower vacancy than Metro Cebu overall (12% and 13% against 16%) — but quarterly take-up fell 55% year on year.

▸ Show the data table

Cebu office market by submarket — stock in square metres and vacancy rate, from the Colliers VisMin report of 1 July 2026 as reprinted by InsiderPH. Metro Cebu is a metro-wide average, not a peer submarket, and Colliers does not publish a total metro stock figure in this reprint.
Submarket	Office stock	Vacancy
Cebu Business Park	599,000 sqm	12%
Cebu IT Park	445,000 sqm	13%
Metro Cebu (all)	—	16%
Office transactions, Q1 2026	9,000 sqm	—
Office transactions, Q1 2025	20,000 sqm	—

Wages, inflation, prices

What things cost and what people earn

Region VII inflation and the RTWPB wage floor are regional; the food basket is a PSA Cebu wholesale reading.

as of 2026-07

Region VII inflation is decelerating: headline moved to 8.7% (July 2026) from 10.1% the month before, and food to 10.7% from 14.1% — both against the 2–4% national target band.

▸ Show the data table

Region VII headline and food CPI inflation (% YoY) by reference month.
Reference month	Series	% YoY	Source
2026-06	Headline	10.1%	PSA-7 Summary Inflation Report (Central Visayas, 2018=100), via SunStar Cebu
2026-07	Headline	8.7%	PSA-7 Summary Inflation Report (Central Visayas, 2018=100), via SunStar Cebu
2026-06	Food	14.1%	PSA-7 Summary Inflation Report (Central Visayas, 2018=100), via SunStar Cebu
2026-07	Food	10.7%	PSA-7 Summary Inflation Report (Central Visayas, 2018=100), via SunStar Cebu

RTWPB Region VII minimum wage

RTWPB Region VII daily minimum wage by geographical class.
Class	₱/day
Class A — expanded Metro Cebu	₱540
Class B — rest of Region VII	₱500

Source: NWPC / DOLE-RTWPB Region VII — Current Daily Minimum Wage Rates

Wage Order No. ROVII-26, effective 2025-10-04. Region VII applies one rate per geographical class across all sectors — there is no separate agriculture rate.

Cebu staple-food prices

PSA Cebu price survey, April 2026.
Commodity	Unit	₱
Rice, regular-milled	PHP/kg (wholesale avg)	₱48.68
White corn grits	PHP/kg (wholesale avg)	₱63.48

Source: PSA Cebu price survey, via SunStar Cebu

Wholesale, not retail. These are PSA Cebu wholesale averages. Cebu retail ₱/kg for recent months could not be confirmed from a primary source and is published as a gap, not an estimate.

FX, deposits, transfers

Moving and holding money

The FX benchmark, a post-tax deposit reading, the cheapest transfer rail, free InstaPay, and the MP2 dividend.

as of 2026-07-10

USD → PHP · BSP ₱61.583 per US$1 · 2026-07-10

Best TD · Maya Bank 4.80% post-tax APY · national (from 6% gross, after 20% CMEPA)⚠ unverified — not re-verified at the bank this sweep

US$1,000 out · Wise ≈ ₱511 all-in at the BSP mid-rate (2026-07-10)

Pag-IBIG MP2 7.12% declared 2025 dividend, p.a. · national

The FX benchmark, the deposit rate and the MP2 dividend are national figures, shown to size a Cebu budget — they are not Cebu-specific rates.

BSP reference rates

BSP Reference Exchange Rate Bulletin, pesos per one unit.
Currency	₱ per unit
USD	₱61.583
EUR	₱70.402
GBP	₱82.577
AUD	₱42.72
CAD	₱43.463

Source: BSP Reference Exchange Rate Bulletin, 10 July 2026 (LSEG NY close 09 July 2026)

Single bulletin-date snapshots, not monthly averages. A BSP reference rate is not a transfer or mid-market rate. Each currency carries two BSP points so far (May and July 2026), shown here as the latest snapshot rather than a drawn trend line.

InstaPay send fees

InstaPay is not price-capped by the BSP, so the fee is per-institution. 9 tracked institutions publish a free individual send — Bank of the Philippine Islands, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, Union Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, BDO Unibank, Inc., Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company and others — while GCash and Maya charge ₱10.

Provenance

Every figure, traced

The named datasets behind this console, a citation you can paste, and the civic profile underneath it all.

Population · 2020 964k City of Cebu · PSA 2020 Census

Land area 315 km² City of Cebu · PhilAtlas (PSA-derived) · medium confidence

Barangays 80 46 North + 34 South district

The Cebu datasets behind these numbers

The ledgers this page reads are published as named datasets, each with a permanent page, dated history and a CC BY 4.0 download, so a figure quoted here can be traced back to the row it came from. Listed below is everything the catalog registers for Cebu, which is not always the same set as the figures shown above.

Cebu Electricity Rate Series (VECO) as of 2026-08 CSV JSON
Cebu Water Tariff (MCWD) as of 2026-04 CSV JSON
Philippine Peso FX Rates (BSP) as of 2026-07-10 CSV JSON
Cebu rent baseline (editorial) as of 2026-05 CSV JSON
Central Visayas Inflation (PSA-7) as of 2026-07 CSV JSON
Cebu Minimum Wage (RTWPB-VII) as of 2025-10 CSV JSON
Cebu Staple Food Prices (PSA) as of 2026-04 CSV JSON
Cebu PUV Fares (LTFRB) as of 2023-10 CSV JSON

The full catalog, including the other cities, is at /data.

Cite the flagship Cebu dataset

Citation

LiveInPH. "Cebu Electricity Rate Series (VECO ₱/kWh) — monthly billing cycles" (2026-08). LiveInPH, https://liveinph.com/data/cebu-electricity-rate. Accessed 2026. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

Download CSV Download JSON 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.

How every figure is collected, dated and verified is documented on the methodology page.