Cape Town vs Cebu: cost of living for digital nomads

Cape Town, South Africa and Cebu, Philippines, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Cebu is about 31% cheaper than Cape Town for a month of nomad living ($1,100 vs $1,600).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $450 in Cebu against $720 in Cape Town.
  • Both score 6/10 on safety.
  • Cape Town is mediterranean; Cebu is tropical.

Cape Town wins 1 of the measured lines; Cebu wins 5.

LineCape TownCebu
Monthly total (USD)$1,600$1,100
Rent$720$450
Food$430$300
Transport$60$50
Coworking$130$100
Safety (out of 10)6/106/10
Internet (Mbps)8080
Climatemediterraneantropical
City sizemetrometro
Settingcoastisland
Nomad score (out of 10)9/107/10

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Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.