Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Babol and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $477 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$477

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Babol vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Babol $477
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $737 per month in Babol vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Babol $737
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $996 per month in Babol vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Babol $996
Cebu $1,900

Babol is about 48% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Babol and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Babol 65% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 $3.09

$3.09 ₱194

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.50 $10.50

$24.22 ₱1,525

-56.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.92 ₱247

0.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 $0.69

Cappuccino

$1.07 $1.07

$2.51 ₱158

-57.37%

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

$0.29 $0.29

$1.59 ₱100

-81.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.53 ₱33.43

215.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.92 ₱121

-65.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 $0.18

$1.36 ₱85.4

-86.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.01 ₱63.5

142.57%

Eggs

$1.17 $1.17

$2.03 ₱128

-42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$9.86 ₱621

-80.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$4.39 ₱277

-23.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 $9.53

$7.60 ₱479

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 $1.17

$3.30 ₱208

-64.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.39 ₱87.8

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$2.33 ₱147

-79.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.50 ₱94.3

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$2.36 ₱149

-87.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.90 ₱119

-84.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.19 ₱74.9

-73.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.63 ₱39.71

-79.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.00 ₱189

-24.33%

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)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.25 ₱15.86

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.76 $9.76

$12.64 ₱796

-22.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.77 ₱48.62

-37.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.23 ₱14.53

34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.46 ₱281

-32.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$1.31 ₱82.8

-92.37%

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

$49.7K $49.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

134.07%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

57.08%

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

$12.98 $12.98

$120 ₱7,569

-89.20%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$14.00 ₱882

-88.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.73 $3.73

$27.54 ₱1,734

-86.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.30 $18.30

$32.33 ₱2,035

-43.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 $13.24

$6.65 ₱419

99.10%

Cinema Ticket

$1.96 $1.96

$5.65 ₱356

-65.31%

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

$48.30 $48.30

$275 ₱17.3K

-82.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,428 $2,428

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-69.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.88 $19.88

$49.33 ₱3,106

-59.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.17 $15.17

$25.24 ₱1,589

-39.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 $52.9

$77.0 ₱4,846

-31.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.50 $39.50

$57.2 ₱3,601

-30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 $288

$500 ₱31.5K

-42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 $213

$309 ₱19.4K

-31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 $783

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 $361

$615 ₱38.7K

-41.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$908 $908

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-68.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$597 $597

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-68.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$127 $127

$346 ₱21.8K

-63.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.75

7.2

229.86%

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

Last update for Babol: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Babol

$213 44.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 45.2% $96

Groceries & Markets

Babol

$97 20.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 112% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Babol

$57 12%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 63.8% $37

Eating Out

Babol

$57 12%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 54.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Babol

$22 4.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 96.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Babol

$18 3.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 782% $143

Getting Around

Babol

$12 2.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 26.2% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in Babol 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 173% higher in Cebu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Babol versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97.0 vs $206 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Babol

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

4 h 30 min ahead of Babol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

964,169

💱 Currency

USD USD

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Babol Cebu 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Babol
Cebu

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Babol vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $477 in Babol, $918 in Cebu – roughly 92% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $716 per month in Babol 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 Babol, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Babol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $48.30 per month in Babol and $275 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $477 in Babol and $918 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Babol to $918 in Cebu. 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 Babol. 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.