Inflation Hit 7.8% in October: What a Cebu Trip Costs Now
Philippine inflation reached 7.8 percent in October 2026, with transport up 20.1 percent. What that means for jeepney fares, fuel and boats in Cebu.
Prices in the Philippines rose 7.8 percent in the year to October 2026, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on 5 November, with transport up 20.1 percent. In Cebu it shows first in the jeepney fare, the fuel tank and the boat ticket.
Reported by Suroy Newsdesk. Edited by Janette Arceo. Updated 5 November 2026.
Headline inflation reached 7.8 percent in October 2026, up from 7.2 percent in September and from 1.7 percent in October 2025, according to figures the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on Thursday, 5 November. The January to October average is 5.6 percent, against a government target of 2 to 4 percent.
Transport led the increase. The PSA put transport inflation at 20.1 percent, up from 14.6 percent, as gasoline prices and the road fares that took effect in late September fed fully into October. For anyone planning a trip around Cebu, that is the number that matters.
What the October 2026 inflation figures say
| Group | September 2026 | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| All items (headline) | 7.2% | 7.8% |
| Transport | 14.6% | 20.1% |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 8.4% | 9.3% |
| Restaurants and accommodation services | 7.0% | 7.7% |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 6.7% | 6.1% |
Food slowed but stayed the largest single contributor to the headline rate, at 2.4 percentage points, according to the PSA figures as reported by DZRH. Restaurants and accommodation, the group that covers eating out and hotel rooms, rose to 7.7 percent from 7.0 percent, PTV News reported. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa attributed the faster rate to food, housing and utilities, and transport.
Central Visayas inflation
The regional figure for October had not been published when this report was filed. In September, Central Visayas inflation was 8.3 percent, up from 8.0 percent in August and 1.1 points above the national rate, SunStar Cebu reported on 6 October from PSA data.
The regional breakdown for September is the one travelers will feel. Restaurant and accommodation services in Central Visayas rose 11.2 percent, food 8.9 percent and transport 15.5 percent. This report will add the October regional figure when the PSA releases it.
What it looks like on a Cebu trip
Suroy.ph keeps dated records of the fares and prices in its travel guides. Five of them show where 2026 has moved, set against the one number on the income side for most workers in Metro Cebu: the daily minimum wage.
Cebu travel costs
Then and now
Pick a price.
Minimum fare, traditional
The traditional jeepney minimum went from ₱13 to ₱14 for the first four kilometers on 28 September 2026, and the modern jeepney from ₱15 to ₱17.
A 70 liter van, full tank
Filling a 70 liter diesel van cost about ₱3,912 at January 2026 Cebu prices and about ₱6,755 at the 2 November midpoint of ₱96.50 a liter.
Cebu to Tagbilaran, tourist
OceanJet’s tourist fare to Tagbilaran was ₱880 from 10 July and ₱960 from 21 September 2026, with a 10 percent fuel surcharge inside it.
Oslob to Siquijor, economy
Super Shuttle raised fares 10 percent across its routes on 28 September 2026, which puts the Oslob to Larena economy seat at about ₱550.
Metro Cebu daily minimum
The Class A daily minimum for expanded Metro Cebu went from ₱540 to ₱582 on 14 October 2026, an increase of ₱42.
Suroy.ph fare and fuel records, January to 2 November 2026. Wage: Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, effective 14 October 2026.
Most of the fare increases landed between 21 September and 14 October 2026, which is why the October inflation figure caught them. One fare moved down: Jomalia cut its Danao to Camotes fares by 10 percent from 15 June 2026, and its October listing put economy at ₱360. The Danao to Camotes guide carries the current figure.
Fuel
Regular diesel in Cebu City was ₱95.00 to ₱98.00 a liter on 2 November 2026, about ₱40 above where the year began, and unleaded 91 was ₱83.40 to ₱87.00. The Department of Energy added ₱3.50 a liter to gasoline from 3 November. Filling a 42 liter sedan cost about ₱3,578 at the 2 November midpoint, ₱384 more than on 3 September. The weekly figures are in Cebu fuel prices this week.
Flying is affected through the fuel surcharge. The Civil Aeronautics Board set it at Level 17 for 1 to 15 November 2026, which adds ₱559 to ₱1,635 to a one way domestic ticket.
Fares on land and sea
Jeepney fares nationwide, Cebu included, rose on 28 September 2026: ₱14 for the first four kilometers on a traditional jeepney and ₱17 on a modern one. The Cebu City jeepney guide has the per kilometer rates and discounts.
Provincial buses out of Cebu City carry two boards. Northern fares were revised on 1 July 2026, with aircon to Hagnaya at ₱259. Southern boards still showed a December 2024 effectivity when Suroy.ph last checked, with aircon to Oslob at ₱330, so travelers south should carry more than the board says. Both are in the North and South bus terminal guide.
At sea, OceanJet’s Cebu to Tagbilaran tourist fare has been ₱960 since 21 September 2026, including a 10 percent fuel surcharge the line calls temporary, and Super Shuttle raised fares 10 percent on 28 September. MARINA Advisory No. 2026-15, issued 30 March 2026, caps ferry fuel surcharges and commits operators to cutting them when fuel prices fall.
Wages
The Class A daily minimum wage for expanded Metro Cebu rose ₱42, from ₱540 to ₱582, on 14 October 2026, SunStar Cebu reported. That is an increase of 7.8 percent, the same as October’s headline inflation and well short of the 20.1 percent rise in transport.
What travelers can do about it
Book the fixed parts early. A ferry or plane ticket bought now carries this period’s surcharge, and surcharges are reviewed on a schedule: twice a month for airlines, and with the fuel price for ferries.
Carry small bills. Fare increases arrive in odd amounts, and terminal and environmental fees are mostly paid in cash. The cash ladder sets out how much to carry.
Price a trip from the latest figures, not last year’s blog. The Bantayan budget breakdown was rebuilt on November 2026 fares and is a fair model for any island weekend from Cebu.
What happens next
The PSA publishes November inflation in early December. Pump prices adjust every Tuesday, and the next Civil Aeronautics Board surcharge level applies from 16 November. This page is updated when each of those changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Philippine inflation rate for October 2026?
7.8 percent, up from 7.2 percent in September, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority on 5 November 2026.
What is the inflation rate in Central Visayas?
8.3 percent in September 2026, the latest regional figure available on 5 November. The October regional figure had not been released.
Why is transport inflation so high?
Transport inflation reached 20.1 percent in October 2026, driven by higher gasoline prices and the road fare increases of late September.
How much is the jeepney fare in Cebu now?
₱14 for the first four kilometers on a traditional jeepney and ₱17 on a modern one, since 28 September 2026.
What is the minimum wage in Cebu?
₱582 a day for Class A, expanded Metro Cebu, since 14 October 2026.
Sources
Philippine Statistics Authority, October 2026 consumer price index, released 5 November 2026, as reported by PTV News and DZRH on 5 November 2026. SunStar Cebu, “Central Visayas inflation rises to 8.3%,” 6 October 2026, and “Cebu wage hits P582,” 27 September 2026. Fuel, fare and surcharge figures from Suroy.ph’s own guides, checked 24 October to 3 November 2026, with their sources named on each page.
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