Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al Budayyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Budayyi: $125 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Al Budayyi

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Al Budayyi

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 Budayyi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $125 in Al Budayyi.

Cebu $918
Al Budayyi $125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $135 in Al Budayyi.

Cebu $1,409
Al Budayyi $135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $144 in Al Budayyi.

Cebu $1,900
Al Budayyi $144

Living in Cebu is roughly 637% more expensive than in Al Budayyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Al Budayyi 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,520

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱246

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱157

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

$1.59 ₱99.9

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱120

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.3

Eggs

$2.03 ₱127

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱619

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱477

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.5

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.0

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱378

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.47

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱280

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.5

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$120 ₱7,547

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

$14.00 ₱879

$19.81 BHD 7.48

-29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,729

$105 BHD 39.57

-73.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,029

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱417

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱355

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱497.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,097

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,585

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,831

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,590

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al Budayyi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Al Budayyi

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Al Budayyi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Al Budayyi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Al Budayyi

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Al Budayyi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Al Budayyi

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Al Budayyi

–

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇭 Al Budayyi

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

05:48 5:48 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 62.77 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.25 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Al Budayyi 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Al Budayyi

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 Budayyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Budayyi wins on cost – living expenses run 637% lower than in Cebu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Budayyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $187 in Al Budayyi 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.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Al Budayyi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Budayyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $125 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Budayyi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Al Budayyi 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 Al Budayyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 637% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.