Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Cebu Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Cebu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $894 in Baia Mare versus $854 in Cebu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Baia Mare versus $1,318 in Cebu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,917 in Baia Mare versus $1,782 in Cebu.

Living in Baia Mare is roughly 5% more expensive than Cebu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baia Mare 33% lower, Cebu 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 RON 40.91

$4.40 ₱269

113.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.34 RON 162

$23.98 ₱1,467

55.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 RON 29.56

$4.54 ₱278

49.78%

Cappuccino

$2.12 RON 9.22

$2.53 ₱155

-16.21%

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

$1.72 RON 7.50

$0.85 ₱52.2

102.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 5.59

$0.45 ₱27.63

186.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 RON 6.95

$1.52 ₱92.9

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 RON 9.65

$2.19 ₱134

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.61

$2.30 ₱141

-33.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 RON 5.31

$1.57 ₱96.0

-22.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 RON 6.88

$1.15 ₱70.6

37.39%

Eggs

$3.35 RON 14.59

$2.36 ₱144

41.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 RON 33.21

$13.03 ₱797

-41.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 RON 26.02

$5.10 ₱312

17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 RON 38.59

$7.95 ₱486

11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 RON 5.32

$3.49 ₱213

-65.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.65

$1.51 ₱92.1

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.49

$3.29 ₱201

-47.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 RON 9.38

$2.19 ₱134

-1.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.38

$2.61 ₱160

-70.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 RON 3.83

$2.45 ₱150

-64.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.57

$0.92 ₱56.4

14.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.49

$0.83 ₱51.0

-3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 RON 22.51

$3.27 ₱200

58.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 RON 21.50

$6.74 ₱412

-26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.52

$1.21 ₱74.1

-14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 RON 8.01

$2.27 ₱139

-18.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 RON 2.93

$0.28 ₱17.23

139.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.29 RON 70.9

$15.14 ₱926

7.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.31

$0.87 ₱53.2

-12.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.52

$0.25 ₱15.37

224.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.07 RON 39.45

$2.61 ₱160

247.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 6.64

$1.14 ₱69.7

34.21%

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

$28.4K RON 123.8K

$29.6K ₱1.8M

-3.81%

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

$26.7K RON 116.0K

$27.0K ₱1.7M

-1.36%

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

$116 RON 507

$95.2 ₱5,822

22.37%

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

$8.84 RON 38.44

$33.67 ₱2,060

-73.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.30 RON 49.15

$29.79 ₱1,823

-62.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 RON 221

$32.90 ₱2,013

54.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.02 RON 91.5

$8.16 ₱499

157.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 RON 29.88

$5.79 ₱354

18.65%

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

$424 RON 1,845

$232 ₱14.2K

82.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,879 RON 29.9K

$3,860 ₱236.1K

78.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 RON 230

$52.1 ₱3,188

1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 RON 165

$22.82 ₱1,396

66.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 RON 304

$76.8 ₱4,698

-8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 RON 407

$54.3 ₱3,324

72.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 RON 1,227

$497 ₱30.4K

-43.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 RON 899

$214 ₱13.1K

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 RON 2,329

$797 ₱48.8K

-32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 RON 1,793

$385 ₱23.6K

7.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 RON 10.3K

$2,968 ₱181.6K

-20.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,632 RON 7,098

$1,963 ₱120.1K

-16.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$906 RON 3,940

$383 ₱23.4K

136.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

-18.75%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cebu: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Baia Mare and $497 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 137% 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: $37.00 in Baia Mare vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $242, with Baia Mare cheaper for home cooking.

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

Baia Mare vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Baia Mare pays 137% more on average, 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: $282 in Baia Mare versus $497 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Baia Mare versus $232 in Cebu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Baia Mare pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $854 in Cebu versus $894 in Baia Mare, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Baia Mare. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Baia Mare, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Baia Mare 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 5% less than in Baia Mare. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.