Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentota and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $774 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
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Bentota Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$774

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Bentota versus $918 in Cebu.

Bentota $774
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $896 in Bentota versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Bentota $896
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Bentota versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Bentota $1,018
Cebu $1,900

Living in Bentota costs roughly 16% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bentota 43% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.29 LKR 1,421

$3.09 ₱194

38.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.97 LKR 3,965

$24.22 ₱1,525

-50.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 LKR 2,560

$3.92 ₱247

97.19%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 815

$2.51 ₱158

-1.99%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$1.59 ₱100

-57.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.2

$0.53 ₱33.43

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 742

$1.78 ₱112

25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,016

$2.17 ₱137

41.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 535

$1.92 ₱121

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$1.36 ₱85.4

-61.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 244

$1.01 ₱63.5

-26.73%

Eggs

$1.56 LKR 518

$2.03 ₱128

-23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 LKR 4,648

$9.86 ₱621

42.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 LKR 1,099

$4.39 ₱277

-24.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 LKR 1,529

$7.60 ₱479

-39.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.81 LKR 2,257

$3.30 ₱208

106.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.39 ₱87.8

-47.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 LKR 1,519

$2.33 ₱147

97.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 LKR 297

$1.50 ₱94.3

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$2.36 ₱149

-57.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$1.90 ₱119

-58.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 312

$1.19 ₱74.9

-21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.63 ₱39.71

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,356

$3.00 ₱189

237.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 LKR 4,424

$6.03 ₱379

121.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.23 ₱77.7

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 963

$1.75 ₱110

66.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 61.0

$0.25 ₱15.86

-28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$0.77 ₱48.62

-48.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.23 ₱14.53

34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

$4.46 ₱281

-80.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.31 ₱82.8

6.11%

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

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

74.94%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

109.57%

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

$54.0 LKR 17.9K

$120 ₱7,569

-55.05%

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

$2.23 LKR 739

$14.00 ₱882

-84.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.03 LKR 2,990

$27.54 ₱1,734

-67.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$5.65 ₱356

-24.25%

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

$38.08 LKR 12.6K

$275 ₱17.3K

-86.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,230 LKR 407.3K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-84.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.80 LKR 5,897

$49.33 ₱3,106

-63.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.82 LKR 5,573

$25.24 ₱1,589

-33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

$77.0 ₱4,846

4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.09 LKR 13.9K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 LKR 179.2K

$500 ₱31.5K

8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 LKR 98.7K

$309 ₱19.4K

-3.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

7.2

76.25%

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

Last update for Bentota: 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

Bentota

$298 38.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 3.6% $11

Groceries & Markets

Bentota

$220 28.5%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 6.5% $14

Eating Out

Bentota

$108 14%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 18.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Bentota

$71 9.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 32.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentota

$65 8.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 148% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Bentota

$8.6 * 1.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 410% $35

Getting Around

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 477% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Bentota and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Bentota vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bentota

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Bentota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,000

964,169

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 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).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bentota Cebu 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bentota
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

Bentota vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,160 in Bentota 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: $541 in Bentota versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $774 per month in Bentota versus $918 in Cebu – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bentota gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Safety-wise, Bentota 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 Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.