Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $658 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 Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $658 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Cebu $918
Al Hillah $658

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,007 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Al Hillah $1,007

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,356 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Al Hillah $1,356

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$4.24 IQD 6,402

-27.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$26.23 IQD 39.6K

-7.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.54 IQD 8,369

-29.24%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.73 IQD 4,123

-8.06%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.31 IQD 476

412.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$0.16 IQD 247

231.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.59 IQD 3,916

-31.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.27 IQD 4,937

-33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.88 IQD 1,336

118.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.68 IQD 1,034

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.36 IQD 2,050

-25.74%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.55 IQD 2,338

30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.38 IQD 5,114

191.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.21 IQD 6,356

4.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.53 IQD 18.9K

-39.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.96 IQD 1,457

243.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.89 IQD 1,349

56.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.90 IQD 1,361

158.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.68 IQD 1,027

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.59 IQD 895

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.56 IQD 846

239.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.48 IQD 720

147.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.51 IQD 770

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.63 IQD 2,462

84.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$11.51 IQD 17.4K

-47.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.98 IQD 2,984

-37.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.96 IQD 2,968

-10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.35 IQD 522

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$20.17 IQD 30.5K

-37.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$2.01 IQD 3,038

-61.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.33 IQD 2,015

-82.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.01 IQD 4,544

48.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.46 IQD 694

184.78%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$14.7K IQD 22.1M

44.94%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$16.6K IQD 25.0M

15.68%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$66.6 IQD 100.7K

80.47%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$13.22 IQD 20.0K

5.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$33.28 IQD 50.3K

-17.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$19.72 IQD 29.8K

63.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$16.70 IQD 25.2K

-60.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.43 IQD 9,709

-12.13%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$81.6 IQD 123.3K

237.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$664 IQD 1.0M

1092.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$19.27 IQD 29.1K

155.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$21.61 IQD 32.7K

16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$57.8 IQD 87.3K

33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$41.29 IQD 62.4K

38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$240 IQD 363.3K

107.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$154 IQD 232.2K

100.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$437 IQD 660.1K

146.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$249 IQD 376.2K

147.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$1,470 IQD 2.2M

96.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$479 IQD 724.3K

299.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$436 IQD 658.2K

-20.58%

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 Hillah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Al Hillah

$154 23.4% 50.2% $155

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Al Hillah

$161 24.5% 21.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Al Hillah

$113 17.2% 30.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Al Hillah

$63 9.6% 33% $31

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Al Hillah

$105 15.9% 18.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Al Hillah

$33 5% 25.3% $11

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Al Hillah

$30 4.6% 94.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $240 in Al Hillah. 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 Hillah, 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 $26.00 in Al Hillah. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Cebu vs $161 in Al Hillah – so Al Hillah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

00:39 12:39 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,729,666

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 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 Hillah 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Al Hillah

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 Hillah: 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 $987 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 60% less in Al Hillah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $81.6 in Al Hillah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $658 in Al Hillah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Al Hillah – 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 Hillah. 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.