Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az Zubayr and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $630 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$630

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in Az Zubayr versus $918 in Cebu.

Az Zubayr $630
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,022 in Az Zubayr versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Az Zubayr $1,022
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,415 in Az Zubayr versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Az Zubayr $1,415
Cebu $1,900

Living in Az Zubayr costs roughly 31% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Az Zubayr 53% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 IQD 5,510

$3.09 ₱194

18.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.61 IQD 31.1K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-14.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 IQD 9,269

$3.92 ₱247

56.38%

Cappuccino

$2.61 IQD 3,948

$2.51 ₱158

3.98%

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

$0.36 IQD 545

$1.59 ₱100

-77.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 325

$0.53 ₱33.43

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 IQD 4,903

$1.78 ₱112

82.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 IQD 3,898

$2.17 ₱137

18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 IQD 1,432

$1.92 ₱121

-50.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 IQD 1,092

$1.36 ₱85.4

-47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,092

$1.01 ₱63.5

36.63%

Eggs

$1.56 IQD 2,359

$2.03 ₱128

-23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.14 IQD 6,254

$9.86 ₱621

-58.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.73 IQD 5,637

$4.39 ₱277

-15.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 IQD 18.2K

$7.60 ₱479

58.29%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,277

$3.30 ₱208

-74.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,468

$1.39 ₱87.8

-30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,350

$2.33 ₱147

-61.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,046

$1.50 ₱94.3

-54.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 849

$2.36 ₱149

-76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 IQD 765

$1.90 ₱119

-73.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 IQD 767

$1.19 ₱74.9

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 IQD 661

$0.63 ₱39.71

-30.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 IQD 2,795

$3.00 ₱189

-38.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 IQD 14.2K

$6.03 ₱379

55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 IQD 2,251

$1.23 ₱77.7

21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,537

$1.75 ₱110

-4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 IQD 567

$0.25 ₱15.86

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.78 IQD 32.9K

$12.64 ₱796

72.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 IQD 2,990

$0.77 ₱48.62

157.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 IQD 2,007

$0.23 ₱14.53

478.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 IQD 9,602

$4.46 ₱281

42.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 IQD 885

$1.31 ₱82.8

-54.96%

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

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-17.95%

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

$19.2K IQD 29.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

0.48%

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

$75.0 IQD 113.3K

$120 ₱7,569

-37.62%

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

$11.17 IQD 16.9K

$14.00 ₱882

-20.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.29 IQD 33.7K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-19.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

$32.33 ₱2,035

18.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 IQD 13.6K

$5.65 ₱356

59.82%

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

$157 IQD 237.9K

$275 ₱17.3K

-42.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 IQD 3.7M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-69.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.33 IQD 30.7K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-58.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.82 IQD 36.0K

$25.24 ₱1,589

-5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.76 IQD 66.1K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-43.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.83 IQD 46.6K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-46.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 IQD 251.4K

$500 ₱31.5K

-66.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 IQD 188.3K

$309 ₱19.4K

-59.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 IQD 634.1K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 IQD 530.1K

$615 ₱38.7K

-42.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$643 IQD 971.0K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-77.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$493 IQD 744.3K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-74.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

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 Az Zubayr: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Az Zubayr

$152 24.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 35.2% $54

Accommodation & Living

Az Zubayr

$125 19.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 148% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Az Zubayr

$108 17.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 49.2% $53

Eating Out

Az Zubayr

$103 16.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 14% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Az Zubayr

$57 9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 22.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Az Zubayr

$53 8.5%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 75.8% $41

Getting Around

Az Zubayr

$32 5.1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 51.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $166 in Az Zubayr and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Az Zubayr vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $206 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

23:43 11:43 PM

5 h ahead of Az Zubayr

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

370,000

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 = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Az Zubayr Cebu 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Az Zubayr
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

Az Zubayr vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Az Zubayr and Cebu differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($630 vs $918 including rent). Az Zubayr is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $945 in Az Zubayr 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $166 in Az Zubayr versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Az Zubayr – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Az Zubayr gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Az Zubayr 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.

Expats usually find Az Zubayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.