Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,081 in Al-hawiyah, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Al-hawiyah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,081
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-hawiyah 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-hawiyah and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Al-hawiyah $1,081
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Al-hawiyah $1,603
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Al-hawiyah $2,125
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Al-hawiyah is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 20% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.44 SAR 16.67
$3.09 ₱194
43.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.52 SAR 99.5
$24.22 ₱1,525
9.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.91 SAR 25.93
$3.92 ₱247
76.28%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.58 SAR 5.91
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50 SAR 5.64
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.63 SAR 9.88
$2.51 ₱158
4.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 SAR 2.63
$1.59 ₱100
-55.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 SAR 0.94
$0.53 ₱33.43
-52.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.78 ₱112
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.17 ₱137
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 SAR 6.85
$1.92 ₱121
-4.69%
White Bread (500g)
$0.96 SAR 3.60
$1.36 ₱85.4
-29.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 SAR 8.25
$1.01 ₱63.5
117.82%
Eggs
$2.68 SAR 10.04
$2.03 ₱128
32.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.85 SAR 21.94
$9.86 ₱621
-40.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.70 SAR 43.90
$4.39 ₱277
166.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.12 SAR 49.22
$7.60 ₱479
72.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 SAR 7.64
$3.30 ₱208
-38.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 SAR 5.92
$1.39 ₱87.8
13.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 SAR 6.88
$2.33 ₱147
-21.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 SAR 5.60
$1.50 ₱94.3
-0.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 SAR 4.87
$2.36 ₱149
-44.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 SAR 5.63
$1.90 ₱119
-21.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 SAR 4.09
$1.19 ₱74.9
-8.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 SAR 2.77
$0.63 ₱39.71
17.46%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.99 SAR 11.21
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 SAR 7.87
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 SAR 5.88
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.00 SAR 30.02
$3.00 ₱189
166.67%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$6.03 ₱379
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.23 ₱77.7
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.75 ₱110
-
🚌 Getting Around
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 SAR 4.13
$0.25 ₱15.86
340.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.82 SAR 138
$12.64 ₱796
191.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 SAR 9.15
$0.77 ₱48.62
216.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.69 SAR 10.10
$0.23 ₱14.53
1069.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.24 SAR 49.67
$4.46 ₱281
196.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 SAR 2.23
$1.31 ₱82.8
-54.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.9K SAR 164.7K
$21.2K ₱1.3M
106.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K SAR 80.8K
$19.1K ₱1.2M
12.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.1 SAR 252
$120 ₱7,569
-44.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.32 SAR 133
$14.00 ₱882
152.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.5 SAR 235
$27.54 ₱1,734
127.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.6 SAR 302
$32.33 ₱2,035
149.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65 ₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.09 SAR 56.6
$5.65 ₱356
167.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$423 SAR 1,586
$275 ₱17.3K
53.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,864 SAR 29.5K
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-0.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.09 SAR 49.11
$49.33 ₱3,106
-73.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 SAR 209
$25.24 ₱1,589
121.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$40.45 SAR 152
$77.0 ₱4,846
-47.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.5 SAR 197
$57.2 ₱3,601
-8.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$576 SAR 2,162
$500 ₱31.5K
15.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$366 SAR 1,375
$309 ₱19.4K
18.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 SAR 3,098
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-23.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$577 SAR 2,166
$615 ₱38.7K
-6.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,404 SAR 9,023
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-16.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,375 SAR 5,158
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-28.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al-hawiyah
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$346 ₱21.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.25
7.2
-27.08%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Al-hawiyah
$366
Cebu
$309 15.7% $58
Groceries & Markets
Al-hawiyah
$217
Cebu
$206 5.3% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-hawiyah
$165
Cebu
$162 1.9% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Al-hawiyah
$111
Cebu
$44 60.6% $67
Eating Out
Al-hawiyah
$92
Cebu
$88 3.7% $3.4
Clothing & Footwear
Al-hawiyah
$73
Cebu
$94 29% $21
Getting Around
Al-hawiyah
$57
Cebu
$16 72.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Al-hawiyah and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
04:32 4:32 AM
09:32 9:32 AM
5 h ahead of Al-hawiyah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
148,151
964,169
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al-hawiyah Cebu 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Al-hawiyah
  • 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-hawiyah vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Al-hawiyah and in Cebu?
Al-hawiyah and Cebu differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,081 vs $918 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Al-hawiyah compared to Cebu?
You'd need roughly $1,621 in Al-hawiyah and $1,377 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Al-hawiyah and in Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $576 in Al-hawiyah versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $27.00 in Al-hawiyah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Al-hawiyah or Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $918 in Cebu – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Al-hawiyah. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Al-hawiyah and Cebu?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Al-hawiyah or Cebu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Al-hawiyah and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Al-hawiyah or Cebu?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Al-hawiyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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