Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Abadan

For one person, living is cheaper in Abadan: $513 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Abadan
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Abadan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Abadan

🇮🇷 Iran

$513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Abadan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Abadan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $513 in Abadan.

Cebu $918
Abadan $513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $820 in Abadan.

Cebu $1,409
Abadan $820

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,127 in Abadan.

Cebu $1,900
Abadan $1,127

Living in Cebu is roughly 79% more expensive than in Abadan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Abadan 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.95 $2.95

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$16.62 $16.62

45.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.12 $4.12

-4.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.60 $0.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$0.99 $0.99

153.54%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.45 $0.45

253.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.87 $0.87

-39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.08 $1.08

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.45 $0.45

202.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.25 $2.25

-55.11%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.17 $1.17

73.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.03 $5.03

96.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.17 $3.17

38.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.02 $9.02

-15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.16 $1.16

184.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.81 $1.81

-23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.89 $0.89

161.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.56 $0.56

167.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.53 $0.53

345.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.46 $0.46

313.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.49 $0.49

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.24 $0.24

162.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.91 $0.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.53 $2.53

18.58%

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)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.14 $0.14

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$9.69 $9.69

30.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.39 $0.39

97.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.31 $0.31

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.32 $2.32

92.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.09 $0.09

1355.56%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$49.4K $49.4K

-57.01%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$44.4K $44.4K

-56.90%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$13.48 $13.48

791.91%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.63 $1.63

758.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.55 $3.55

675.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$17.76 $17.76

82.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$12.51 $12.51

-46.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$2.03 $2.03

178.33%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$108 $108

154.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,343 $2,343

237.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$20.38 $20.38

142.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$27.95 $27.95

-9.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$105 $105

-26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$79.5 $79.5

-28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$288 $288

73.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$186 $186

66.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$774 $774

39.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$318 $318

93.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$709 $709

307.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,022 $1,022

87.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$444 $444

-22.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

24.3

-70.37%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Abadan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Abadan

$186 36.1% 39.9% $123

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Abadan

$117 22.9% 43% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Abadan

$19 3.6% 88.5% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Abadan

$105 20.4% 11.5% $11

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Abadan

$53 10.3% 39.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Abadan

$22 4.3% 50% $22

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Abadan

$12 2.4% 21.5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $288 in Abadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abadan pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $17.00 in Abadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $117 per month, with Abadan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Abadan

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

12:37 12:37 PM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

231,476

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Abadan 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Abadan

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

Cebu vs Abadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abadan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Abadan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $288 in Abadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abadan – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $513 in Abadan – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Abadan 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, Cebu and Abadan 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 Abadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.