Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,001 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Baghdad versus $918 in Cebu.

Baghdad $1,001
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,472 in Baghdad versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Baghdad $1,472
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Baghdad versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Baghdad $1,943
Cebu $1,900

Living in Baghdad is roughly 9% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baghdad 26% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 IQD 6,445

$3.09 ₱194

38.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

$24.22 ₱1,525

20.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

$3.92 ₱247

72.70%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,003

$2.51 ₱158

5.58%

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

$0.35 IQD 530

$1.59 ₱100

-77.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$0.53 ₱33.43

-62.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,927

$1.78 ₱112

83.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,868

$2.17 ₱137

48.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,466

$1.92 ₱121

-49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,097

$1.36 ₱85.4

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.01 ₱63.5

31.68%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$2.03 ₱128

-17.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.25 IQD 4,912

$9.86 ₱621

-67.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 IQD 6,192

$4.39 ₱277

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

$7.60 ₱479

63.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,523

$3.30 ₱208

-69.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.39 ₱87.8

-29.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,444

$2.33 ₱147

-58.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$1.50 ₱94.3

-54.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 842

$2.36 ₱149

-76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$1.90 ₱119

-70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 806

$1.19 ₱74.9

-55.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 943

$0.63 ₱39.71

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$3.00 ₱189

-44.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

$6.03 ₱379

92.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,863

$1.23 ₱77.7

53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$1.75 ₱110

8.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 IQD 858

$0.25 ₱15.86

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

$12.64 ₱796

59.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

$0.77 ₱48.62

161.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,029

$0.23 ₱14.53

482.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 IQD 9,887

$4.46 ₱281

46.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$1.31 ₱82.8

-58.78%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-23.24%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-13.39%

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

$189 IQD 285.6K

$120 ₱7,569

57.20%

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

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

$14.00 ₱882

24.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

$27.54 ₱1,734

32.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

$32.33 ₱2,035

28.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

$6.65 ₱419

178.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

$5.65 ₱356

70.62%

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

$145 IQD 218.9K

$275 ₱17.3K

-47.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-61.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-49.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

$25.24 ₱1,589

13.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-22.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 IQD 774.7K

$500 ₱31.5K

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 IQD 485.8K

$309 ₱19.4K

4.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 IQD 1.3M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-18.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 IQD 899.0K

$615 ₱38.7K

-3.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

50.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-24.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.9K

$346 ₱21.8K

44.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

7.2

-42.78%

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

Last update for Baghdad: 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

Baghdad

$322 32.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 3.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$243 24.3%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 33.4% $81

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 16.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 25.8% $42

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 11.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 20.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$70 7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 34.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$61 6.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 28.2% $17

Getting Around

Baghdad

$31 3.1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 50% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Baghdad and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Baghdad vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $164 vs $206, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

5 h ahead of Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

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

Baghdad Cebu 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
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

Baghdad vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cebu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Baghdad, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $513 in Baghdad versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 59% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $275 in Cebu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,001 in Baghdad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cebu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cebu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baghdad 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.