Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arar and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,185 in Arar, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Arar
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Arar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Arar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,185

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Arar vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Arar $1,185
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $1,758 per month in Arar vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Arar $1,758
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Arar vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Arar $2,330
Cebu $1,900

Arar costs about 29% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Arar and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Arar 12% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 SAR 23.25

$3.09 ₱194

100.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.34 SAR 140

$24.22 ₱1,525

54.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.18

$3.92 ₱247

98.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

Cappuccino

$3.16 SAR 11.88

$2.51 ₱158

25.90%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.59 ₱100

-45.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.53 ₱33.43

-50.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.92 ₱121

-11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.36 ₱85.4

-3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.41

$1.01 ₱63.5

121.78%

Eggs

$2.43 SAR 9.13

$2.03 ₱128

19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 SAR 28.54

$9.86 ₱621

-22.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 SAR 29.91

$4.39 ₱277

81.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 SAR 48.62

$7.60 ₱479

70.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.46

$3.30 ₱208

-31.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.27

$1.39 ₱87.8

20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

$2.33 ₱147

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$1.50 ₱94.3

9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.62

$2.36 ₱149

-47.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.97

$1.90 ₱119

-30.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.58

$1.19 ₱74.9

2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.63 ₱39.71

-12.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 SAR 24.38

$3.00 ₱189

116.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.25 ₱15.86

316.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.99 SAR 139

$12.64 ₱796

192.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$0.77 ₱48.62

250.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$0.23 ₱14.53

704.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.26 SAR 49.76

$4.46 ₱281

197.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.31 ₱82.8

-51.15%

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

$43.8K SAR 164.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

106.41%

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

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

11.48%

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

$102 SAR 384

$120 ₱7,569

-15.00%

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

$32.69 SAR 123

$14.00 ₱882

133.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 SAR 253

$27.54 ₱1,734

144.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 SAR 307

$32.33 ₱2,035

152.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 SAR 49.58

$5.65 ₱356

133.81%

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

$421 SAR 1,579

$275 ₱17.3K

52.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,110 SAR 30.4K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

2.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.56 SAR 156

$49.33 ₱3,106

-15.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$25.24 ₱1,589

113.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SAR 361

$77.0 ₱4,846

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 SAR 324

$57.2 ₱3,601

51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 SAR 2,202

$500 ₱31.5K

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,416

$309 ₱19.4K

22.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SAR 3,100

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-23.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 SAR 2,155

$615 ₱38.7K

-6.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 SAR 8,891

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-17.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,355 SAR 5,084

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-29.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

7.2

-23.06%

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

Last update for Arar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arar

$377 31.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 18.2% $69

Groceries & Markets

Arar

$204 17.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 1% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arar

$202 17.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 20.1% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Arar

$125 10.6%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 24.9% $31

Eating Out

Arar

$115 9.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 23.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Arar

$108 9.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 59.7% $65

Getting Around

Arar

$53 4.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 70.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in Arar 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Arar versus $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Arar vs $206 in Cebu – so Arar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Arar

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

13:36 1:36 PM

5 h ahead of Arar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

167,057

964,169

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

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).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arar Cebu 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Arar
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

Arar vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,185 in Arar, $918 in Cebu – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Arar 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 Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 193% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $421 per month in Arar and $275 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Arar at $1,185. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in Cebu to $1,185 in Arar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.