Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al Kufah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kufah: $711 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Al Kufah
Learn more

Al Kufah Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Al Kufah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$711

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $711 in Al Kufah.

Cebu $918
Al Kufah $711

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,077 in Al Kufah.

Cebu $1,409
Al Kufah $1,077

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,443 in Al Kufah.

Cebu $1,900
Al Kufah $1,443

Living in Cebu is roughly 29% more expensive than in Al Kufah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Al Kufah 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.34 IQD 6,560

-28.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$29.40 IQD 44.4K

-17.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

-41.75%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.66 IQD 4,021

-5.64%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.32 IQD 489

396.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.22 IQD 333

140.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.25 IQD 4,913

-45.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.27 IQD 4,935

-33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.89 IQD 1,352

115.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.64 IQD 971

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.37 IQD 2,068

-26.28%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.62 IQD 2,446

25.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$2.12 IQD 3,197

365.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.85 IQD 5,820

14.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.88 IQD 11.9K

-3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.64 IQD 965

415.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.90 IQD 1,359

54.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.61 IQD 918

281.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.48 IQD 727

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.46 IQD 697

413.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.32 IQD 488

493.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.15 IQD 226

693.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.50 IQD 760

26.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.52 IQD 2,299

97.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$11.62 IQD 17.6K

-48.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.89 IQD 2,856

-34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.93 IQD 2,917

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.39 IQD 595

-35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$20.78 IQD 31.4K

-39.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.92 IQD 2,903

-59.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.30 IQD 1,964

-82.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$6.55 IQD 9,893

-31.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.51 IQD 777

156.86%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

27.33%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

14.87%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$193 IQD 291.7K

-37.72%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.75 IQD 26.8K

-21.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$19.67 IQD 29.7K

40.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$14.79 IQD 22.3K

118.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.91 IQD 15.0K

-42.99%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$71.0 IQD 107.2K

288.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,184 IQD 3.3M

262.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$9.89 IQD 14.9K

398.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$28.39 IQD 42.9K

-11.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$20.23 IQD 30.6K

280.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$35.29 IQD 53.3K

62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$174 IQD 262.3K

187.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$126 IQD 190.8K

144.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$378 IQD 571.8K

184.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$309 IQD 466.7K

99.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,247 IQD 1.9M

131.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$577 IQD 872.5K

231.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$882 IQD 1.3M

-60.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.12

74.76%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al Kufah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Al Kufah

$126 17.8% 59.1% $183

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Al Kufah

$135 19% 34.3% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Al Kufah

$230 32.4% 42.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Al Kufah

$42 5.9% 55.1% $52

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Al Kufah

$112 15.7% 26.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Al Kufah

$35 4.9% 20.7% $9

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Al Kufah

$31 4.3% 97.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $174 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 155% 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 $29.00 in Al Kufah. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $135, with Al Kufah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Al Kufah

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

23:49 11:49 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

230,000

💱 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 = 70.78 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 Kufah 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Al Kufah

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 Kufah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 155% lower in Al Kufah. 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 $174 in Al Kufah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kufah – a meal for two runs $29.00 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 $711 in Al Kufah – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Al Kufah 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 Al Kufah 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 Kufah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.