When is it cheapest to visit Cebu?

Cebu is cheapest to visit in May, June, July, August, and September.

Peak season is January, February, November, and December, when rooms cost the most.

Cebu seasons and room prices

Cebu is dry from December to May and wet from June to November, with typhoons possible from July to November though they hit Cebu less often than Luzon. Rooms peak over Christmas and New Year, during the Sinulog festival on the third Sunday of January, and in Holy Week before Easter. Korean and Japanese holidays add their own peaks, since both markets fly in on direct flights and fill the Mactan family resorts first. August and September are the cheapest months, and May at the end of the dry season is good value outside the Northeast Asian holidays. Wet season rain usually means an hour or two in the afternoon.

Cebu local costs and payment

The currency is the Philippine peso. Resorts, malls and larger restaurants take cards, but nearly everything else runs on cash, including island hopping tours, tips and small fares, so change money at the airport or a mall counter. Resorts often add VAT and a service charge on top of the room rate, and the gap between displayed rate and total can be large on some sites, so compare totals including tax. Grab works in Cebu but cars are scarce and waits can be long. Pay in pesos or dollars and refuse any conversion into your home currency at checkout.