Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al-'amarah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-'amarah: $662 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
Learn more

Al-'amarah Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Al-'amarah

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 Al-'amarah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $662 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Cebu $918
Al-'amarah $662

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,031 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Al-'amarah $1,031

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,400 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Al-'amarah $1,400

Cebu costs about 39% more than Al-'amarah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Al-'amarah are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Al-'amarah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.93 IQD 5,936

-21.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$21.93 IQD 33.1K

10.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.22 IQD 9,391

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.08 IQD 3,146

20.67%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.33 IQD 502

381.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.20 IQD 304

165.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.22 IQD 4,863

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.90 IQD 4,384

-25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.99 IQD 1,501

93.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.67 IQD 1,006

102.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.36 IQD 2,061

-25.74%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.57 IQD 2,368

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.72 IQD 5,616

165.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.21 IQD 6,361

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$11.50 IQD 17.4K

-33.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.93 IQD 1,405

254.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.93 IQD 1,411

49.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.90 IQD 1,362

158.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.61 IQD 921

145.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.56 IQD 846

321.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.61 IQD 924

211.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.52 IQD 782

128.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.51 IQD 770

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.83 IQD 2,765

63.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

-50.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.60 IQD 2,412

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.78 IQD 2,683

-1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.45 IQD 680

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$19.17 IQD 29.0K

-34.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.81 IQD 2,734

-57.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.13 IQD 1,712

-79.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.76 IQD 8,707

-22.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.54 IQD 813

142.59%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

29.25%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$15.1K IQD 22.8M

26.69%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$96.2 IQD 145.4K

24.97%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$13.00 IQD 19.7K

7.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

14.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.10 IQD 56.1K

-12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$8.87 IQD 13.4K

-36.30%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$153 IQD 231.6K

79.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,868 IQD 4.3M

176.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

115.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$51.9 IQD 78.4K

48.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$34.23 IQD 51.7K

67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$178 IQD 268.4K

181.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$129 IQD 195.4K

138.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$371 IQD 561.0K

190.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$298 IQD 449.9K

106.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$717 IQD 1.1M

302.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$573 IQD 865.9K

234.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$435 IQD 657.8K

-20.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.33

116.22%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Al-'amarah

$129 19.5% 58.1% $179

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Al-'amarah

$159 24% 22.9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Al-'amarah

$133 20.1% 17.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Al-'amarah

$59 8.9% 37.5% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Al-'amarah

$99 15% 12.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Al-'amarah

$55 8.3% 25.7% $11

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Al-'amarah

$28 4.3% 82.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $178 in Al-'amarah. 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 26% higher in Al-'amarah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $22.00 in Al-'amarah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $159 – making Al-'amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

21:11 9:11 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

511,542

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Al-'amarah 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Al-'amarah

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 Al-'amarah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $993 in Al-'amarah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-'amarah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $22.00 in Al-'amarah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $662 in Al-'amarah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al-'amarah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Al-'amarah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.