Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-'amarah: $662 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-'amarah and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-'amarah and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $662 per month in Al-'amarah vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Al-'amarah $662
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Al-'amarah vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,031
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $1,400 per month in Al-'amarah vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,400
Cebu $1,900

Al-'amarah is about 28% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Al-'amarah and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Al-'amarah 51% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 IQD 5,936

$3.09 ₱195

27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.93 IQD 33.1K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-9.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 IQD 9,391

$3.92 ₱247

58.67%

Cappuccino

$2.08 IQD 3,146

$2.51 ₱158

-17.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 502

$1.59 ₱100

-79.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 304

$0.53 ₱33.45

-62.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 IQD 4,863

$1.78 ₱112

80.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 IQD 4,384

$2.17 ₱137

33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,501

$1.92 ₱121

-48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,006

$1.36 ₱85.5

-50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 IQD 2,061

$1.01 ₱63.6

34.65%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,368

$2.03 ₱128

-22.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.72 IQD 5,616

$9.86 ₱621

-62.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,361

$4.39 ₱277

-4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 IQD 17.4K

$7.60 ₱479

51.32%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,405

$3.30 ₱208

-71.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 IQD 1,411

$1.39 ₱87.8

-33.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,362

$2.33 ₱147

-61.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 921

$1.50 ₱94.3

-59.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 846

$2.36 ₱149

-76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 924

$1.90 ₱119

-67.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 IQD 782

$1.19 ₱74.9

-56.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$0.63 ₱39.73

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 IQD 2,765

$3.00 ₱189

-39.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

$6.03 ₱380

100.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 IQD 2,412

$1.23 ₱77.7

30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,683

$1.75 ₱110

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 IQD 680

$0.25 ₱15.87

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.17 IQD 29.0K

$12.64 ₱796

51.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 IQD 2,734

$0.77 ₱48.64

135.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 IQD 1,712

$0.23 ₱14.54

391.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 IQD 8,707

$4.46 ₱281

29.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 813

$1.31 ₱82.8

-58.78%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-22.63%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.1K IQD 22.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-21.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.2 IQD 145.4K

$120 ₱7,573

-19.98%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.00 IQD 19.7K

$14.00 ₱882

-7.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

$27.54 ₱1,735

-12.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 IQD 56.1K

$32.33 ₱2,036

14.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 IQD 13.4K

$5.65 ₱356

56.99%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$153 IQD 231.6K

$275 ₱17.3K

-44.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,868 IQD 4.3M

$7,918 ₱498.8K

-63.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$49.33 ₱3,107

-53.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

$25.24 ₱1,590

-15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 IQD 78.4K

$77.0 ₱4,848

-32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.23 IQD 51.7K

$57.2 ₱3,603

-40.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 268.4K

$500 ₱31.5K

-64.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 IQD 195.4K

$309 ₱19.5K

-58.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 IQD 561.0K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-65.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 IQD 449.9K

$615 ₱38.8K

-51.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$717 IQD 1.1M

$2,886 ₱181.8K

-75.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$573 IQD 865.9K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-70.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 IQD 657.8K

$346 ₱21.8K

25.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

7.2

-53.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$159 24%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 29.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$133 20.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 21.4% $29

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$129 19.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 139% $179

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$99 15%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 10.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$59 8.9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 60.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.3%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 20.4% $11

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$28 4.3%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 45.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Al-'amarah versus $500 in Cebu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Al-'amarah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Al-'amarah versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $159 vs $206 – making Al-'amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

01:21 1:21 AM

5 h ahead of Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

964,169

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-'amarah Cebu 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-'amarah
Cebu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Al-'amarah vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $993 per month in Al-'amarah and $1,377 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-'amarah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Al-'amarah and $24.00 in Cebu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $662 in Al-'amarah and $918 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al-'amarah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-'amarah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.