Cebu City, Philippines 🇵🇭
#582 10.293563, 123.90192

Nomad Score: 66%
Overview Guide Scores Costs

Essentials

🏙️ City Cebu City is a bustling urban center known as the 'Queen City of the South.'
👥 Population Approx. 1 million
💻 Internet Speed Average speed of 25 Mbps
💸 Currency & Banking 1 PHP ≈ 0.018 USD, 1 USD ≈ 55 PHP
🚰 Tap Water Not drinkable; bottled water is recommended
🔌 Power 220V, 60Hz, 🔌 Type A, B, C sockets
📶 SIM Card Available from Smart, Globe, and DITO, with data plans starting at around 300 PHP for 30 days.
💳 Banking for Expats BPI, BDO, and UnionBank are widely used; also supports international accounts like TransferWise.
🛌 Accommodation Airbnb is popular, with average monthly rates from 20,000 PHP in central areas.
💳 Cashless Friendly Yes, cards accepted widely in urban areas and many establishments.
🏠 Short Term Rentals Airbnb and local property management sites like Quinlan Homes.
🛏️ Budget Accommodation Hostel options like Tsinoy Hostel and Bamboo Garden.

Working and Networking

🏢 Best Coworking Space The Office Project in IT Park
☕ Best Cafe for Work Café Georg in Cebu Business Park
💼 Networking Events Regular meetups hosted by Cebu Digital Nomads on Meetup.com
🥂 Social Events for Expats Cebu Expat Community Group on Facebook

Transportation

🚕 Best Taxi/Ride App Grab is the most popular ride-hailing app
🚲 Bike/Scooter Rental Availability of bike rental through apps like Angkas
🏖️ Best Beach Nearby Mactan Island Beach, about 30 minutes away by car
✈️ Top Regional Airline Cebu Pacific Air
✈️ Top International Airline Philippine Airlines
🛣️ Highway Access Located on the Cebu South Road connecting to Mactan and other provinces
🚉 Main Train/Transit Hub Cebu North Bus Terminal for inter-city travel
🚍 Public Transport Passes Metro Cebu buses available, no specific passes yet; pay per ride.
✈️ Regional Travel Buses available to nearby tourist destinations like Moalboal and Oslob

Health and Wellness

🏥 Best Hospital Cebu Doctors' University Hospital
🧘 Yoga & Wellness Centers YogaHub and Namaste Yoga Studio
🏋️ Gyms & Fitness Centers Fitness First and Anytime Fitness with monthly fees around 2,500 PHP.
🧺 Laundry Services Coin-operated laundries are available in many neighborhoods.

Food and Drink

📱 Best Food Delivery App Foodpanda and GrabFood
🍽️ Best Local Dish to Try Lechon (roast pig), a Cebuano specialty.
🍱 Vegan/Vegetarian Options Fresh Options and Greenery Restaurant
🍫 Best Dessert Spots Cafe Javas and The Chocolate Chamber
🛒 Affordable Shopping Spots Carbon Market for fresh produce and local goods.
🛒 E-commerce/Online Store Lazada and Shopee
🛒 Grocery Delivery GrabMart for groceries sourced locally.
🍸 Bar/Nightlife Area IT Park and Mango Avenue for nightlife.
🍻 Local Brewery Cebu Brewing Company
🍷 Wine Bars The Wine Club in Cebu Business Park
🍲 Street Food Stalls Street food in Fuente Osmeña Circle.
🍕 Popular International Cuisine Shaka Café for Hawaiian cuisine and Abaca Restaurant for upscale dining.

Culture and Attractions

🎟️ Must-See Landmarks Magellan's Cross and Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
🏛️ Museums & Art Venues Cebu Provincial Museum and Casa Gorordo Museum
🏰 Historical Sites Fort San Pedro
🕍 Religious Sites Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
🎉 Annual Events Sinulog Festival in January, a vibrant street festival.
🎨 Cultural Districts Colon Street, the oldest street in the Philippines.
🎭 Theater Venues SM City Cebu's Cinema and UP Cebu Theater.
🛍️ Local Markets Carbon Market and Taboan Market for dried fish.
🎼 Music Scene Live music at The Distillery and The Social.
🎨 Street Art Explore street art in Cebu City particularly around City Hall.
🧑‍🍳 Cooking Classes Learn local cuisine at Casa Verde.
👩‍🎨 Art Galleries The Art Center and The Heritage of Cebu Monument.
🕰️ Historic Buildings Basilica del Santo Niño and Magellan's Cross.
🏴 Local Heritage Cebuano culture and history are rich and visible throughout the city.

Nature and Outdoor Activities

🌅 Nearby Nature Escapes Osmeña Peak and Kawasan Falls for hiking and waterfalls.
🏞️ National Parks Nearby Cebu National Park is about 2 hours away.
🚲 Cycling/Walking Paths Marine Walk along Mactan Island.
🌄 Scenic Viewpoints Tops Lookout provides panoramic views of Cebu City.
🦉 Birdwatching Locations Balay Ni Mayang in the surrounding areas.
🔥 Bonfire-Friendly Spots Mactan Island beaches allow for bonfires in designated areas.

Other Services and Amenities

📦 Parcel Delivery Service LBC and JRS Express for shipping and delivery.
🛠️ Tech Repair Services iRepair and GadgetFix in various malls.
🏓 Table Tennis Spots Community centers often have recreational spaces available.
🧑‍🏫 Language Classes Language schools like The Language Hub offer English, Cebuano, and Tagalog.
📚 Libraries & Study Spots The Cebu City Public Library.
🏘️ Community Centers The Cebu City Sports Center and various barangays.
🕹️ Gaming Lounges Game On! eSports Lounge in Cebu IT Park.
🎰 Casino & Gaming Halls Waterfront Cebu City Casino and Casino Filipino.

Business

🏢 Studio Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. ₱100,000 per m² (e.g., 25 m² = ₱2,500,000)
🏢 Studio Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. ₱60,000 per m² (e.g., 25 m² = ₱1,500,000)
🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. ₱80,000 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = ₱3,200,000)
🏠 1-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. ₱50,000 per m² (e.g., 40 m² = ₱2,000,000)
🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (City Center) Approx. ₱75,000 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = ₱6,000,000)
🏡 2-Bedroom Purchase Price (Outside City) Approx. ₱45,000 per m² (e.g., 80 m² = ₱3,600,000)
💼 Corporate Tax 30% standard rate in the Philippines.
💵 Dividend Withholding Tax 20% on dividends.
🏦 Tax System Tax based on global income for residents.
📈 Highest Income Tax Bracket 35% for the highest earners.
🧾 VAT 12% standard VAT rate.
🌐 Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) Rules Yes, the Philippines has CFC rules.
🏠 Property Tax Real property tax is based on assessed value.
🏠 Property Transaction Tax 1.5% on property transaction fees.