Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bialystok and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,450 in Bialystok, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bialystok
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,450
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,450 per month in Bialystok vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Bialystok $1,450
  • Cebu $918

A couple spends around $2,061 per month in Bialystok vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Bialystok $2,061
  • Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $2,672 per month in Bialystok vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

  • Bialystok $2,672
  • Cebu $1,900

Bialystok costs about 58% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bialystok sits 7% above the global median, while Cebu is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.82 zł 38.15
$3.09 ₱194
217.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.59 zł 177
$24.22 ₱1,525
88.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.01 zł 35.02
$3.92 ₱247
129.85%
Cappuccino
$3.60 zł 13.99
$2.51 ₱158
43.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 zł 6.99
$1.59 ₱100
13.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 zł 6.11
$0.53 ₱33.43
196.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.47 zł 13.48
$1.78 ₱112
94.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 zł 11.77
$2.17 ₱137
39.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 zł 4.11
$1.92 ₱121
-44.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 zł 3.93
$1.36 ₱85.4
-25.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 zł 8.63
$1.01 ₱63.5
119.80%
Eggs
$3.82 zł 14.84
$2.03 ₱128
88.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.25 zł 35.94
$9.86 ₱621
-6.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.78 zł 22.47
$4.39 ₱277
31.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.23 zł 43.63
$7.60 ₱479
47.76%
Apples (1kg)
$1.20 zł 4.68
$3.30 ₱208
-63.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 zł 7.09
$1.39 ₱87.8
31.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 zł 6.08
$2.33 ₱147
-32.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 zł 7.78
$1.50 ₱94.3
33.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 zł 4.05
$2.36 ₱149
-55.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 zł 4.54
$1.90 ₱119
-38.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 zł 4.35
$1.19 ₱74.9
-5.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 zł 2.40
$0.63 ₱39.71
-1.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.07 zł 19.70
$3.00 ₱189
69.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.29 zł 24.45
$6.03 ₱379
4.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 zł 4.47
$1.23 ₱77.7
-6.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 zł 5.66
$1.75 ₱110
-16.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 zł 4.26
$0.25 ₱15.86
340.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.94 zł 128
$12.64 ₱796
160.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 zł 7.81
$0.77 ₱48.62
161.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.65 zł 2.52
$0.23 ₱14.53
182.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.95 zł 50.3
$4.46 ₱281
190.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 zł 6.01
$1.31 ₱82.8
18.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K zł 117.4K
$21.2K ₱1.3M
42.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K zł 105.0K
$19.1K ₱1.2M
41.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$298 zł 1,157
$120 ₱7,569
147.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.38 zł 32.54
$14.00 ₱882
-40.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.99 zł 69.9
$27.54 ₱1,734
-34.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.37 zł 161
$32.33 ₱2,035
27.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.66 zł 107
$6.65 ₱419
315.94%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 zł 26.08
$5.65 ₱356
18.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$359 zł 1,394
$275 ₱17.3K
30.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,280 zł 16.6K
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-45.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.7 zł 383
$49.33 ₱3,106
100.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.27 zł 141
$25.24 ₱1,589
43.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.0 zł 334
$77.0 ₱4,846
11.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.9 zł 349
$57.2 ₱3,601
57.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$541 zł 2,101
$500 ₱31.5K
8.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$496 zł 1,925
$309 ₱19.4K
60.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$820 zł 3,187
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-23.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 zł 2,799
$615 ₱38.7K
17.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,620 zł 10.2K
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-9.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,272 zł 8,826
$1,917 ₱120.7K
18.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bialystok
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,462 zł 5,680
$346 ₱21.8K
322.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.07
7.2
-1.81%

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

Last update for Bialystok: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bialystok
$496
Cebu
$309 37.7% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bialystok
$324
Cebu
$162 50.1% $162
Groceries & Markets
Bialystok
$207
Cebu
$206 0.6% $1.2
Eating Out
Bialystok
$186
Cebu
$88 52.5% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Bialystok
$140
Cebu
$94 32.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Bialystok
$55
Cebu
$44 20.4% $11
Getting Around
Bialystok
$43
Cebu
$16 63.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Bialystok 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 323% higher in Bialystok, 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 $46.00 in Bialystok versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $206 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Bialystok
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
19:37 7:37 PM
01:37 1:37 AM
6 h ahead of Bialystok
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
297,554
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bialystok Cebu 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bialystok
  • 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
Bialystok vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bialystok or Cebu?
Bialystok costs about 58% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bialystok and in Cebu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,175 per month in Bialystok and $1,377 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bialystok or Cebu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Bialystok and in Cebu?
Kindergarten costs $359 per month in Bialystok and $275 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Bialystok or in Cebu?
Groceries cost about 1% more in Bialystok, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Bialystok or in Cebu?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Bialystok at $1,450. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bialystok it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bialystok or Cebu?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $918 versus $1,450 in Bialystok. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bialystok compared to Cebu?
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.
Should I move to Bialystok or to Cebu?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bialystok makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bialystok vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?