Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al Kazimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $663 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.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Al Kazimiyah
🇮🇶 Iraq
$663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $663 in Al Kazimiyah.

  • Cebu $918
  • Al Kazimiyah $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,020 in Al Kazimiyah.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Al Kazimiyah $1,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,377 in Al Kazimiyah.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Al Kazimiyah $1,377

Living in Cebu is roughly 39% more expensive than in Al Kazimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Al Kazimiyah 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$4.03 IQD 6,085
-23.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$20.21 IQD 30.5K
19.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$6.52 IQD 9,857
-39.88%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.65 IQD 4,012
-5.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.37 IQD 558
329.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.19 IQD 280
178.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$3.19 IQD 4,820
-44.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$3.00 IQD 4,535
-27.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.15 IQD 1,737
66.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.63 IQD 948
115.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.34 IQD 2,022
-24.63%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.32 IQD 1,998
53.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$3.46 IQD 5,229
184.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$4.00 IQD 6,045
9.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$13.07 IQD 19.8K
-41.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$0.92 IQD 1,384
258.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$0.98 IQD 1,481
41.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$0.94 IQD 1,423
147.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$0.61 IQD 920
145.90%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.53 IQD 794
345.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.60 IQD 909
216.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.65 IQD 986
83.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.56 IQD 847
12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$1.66 IQD 2,503
80.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$10.41 IQD 15.7K
-42.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.32 IQD 1,994
-6.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.67 IQD 2,526
4.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.46 IQD 688
-45.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$19.40 IQD 29.3K
-34.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$1.81 IQD 2,737
-57.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.33 IQD 2,016
-82.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$5.28 IQD 7,983
-15.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$0.64 IQD 960
104.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$15.1K IQD 22.9M
40.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$18.6K IQD 28.2M
2.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$76.4 IQD 115.5K
57.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$10.42 IQD 15.7K
34.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$26.50 IQD 40.0K
3.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$40.93 IQD 61.9K
-21.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$9.51 IQD 14.4K
-40.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$133 IQD 201.2K
106.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$2,546 IQD 3.8M
211.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$18.56 IQD 28.0K
165.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$19.90 IQD 30.1K
26.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$42.76 IQD 64.6K
79.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$29.35 IQD 44.3K
94.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$187 IQD 282.2K
167.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$144 IQD 217.4K
114.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$353 IQD 533.7K
205.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$292 IQD 441.6K
110.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$768 IQD 1.2M
275.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$529 IQD 799.0K
262.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Al Kazimiyah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
-
-
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 Kazimiyah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Al Kazimiyah
$144 53.4% $165
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Al Kazimiyah
$158 23.2% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Al Kazimiyah
$113 29.9% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Al Kazimiyah
$50 47% $44
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Al Kazimiyah
$108 22.2% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Al Kazimiyah
$60 37.5% $16
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Al Kazimiyah
$30 90.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $187 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $20.00 in Al Kazimiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $158 per month, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah
🕒 Local time
04:02 4:02 AM
23:02 11:02 PM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Al Kazimiyah 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Al Kazimiyah

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 Kazimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al Kazimiyah cheaper than Cebu?
Al Kazimiyah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $994 in Al Kazimiyah 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.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Al Kazimiyah?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $187 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Cebu or in Al Kazimiyah?
Dining out is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Al Kazimiyah?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $663 in Al Kazimiyah – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Al Kazimiyah?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Al Kazimiyah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Al Kazimiyah more family-friendly?
For families, Al Kazimiyah 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Al Kazimiyah?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Al Kazimiyah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Al Kazimiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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