Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $601 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $601 in Al-mawsil.

Cebu $918
Al-mawsil $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $917 in Al-mawsil.

Cebu $1,409
Al-mawsil $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,233 in Al-mawsil.

Cebu $1,900
Al-mawsil $1,233

Living in Cebu is roughly 53% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Al-mawsil 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$6.46 IQD 9,767

-52.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$10.37 IQD 15.7K

133.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.03 IQD 7,597

-22.07%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$0.68 IQD 1,024

269.12%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.34 IQD 519

367.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.14 IQD 219

278.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.85 IQD 1,286

109.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.31 IQD 1,977

65.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.63 IQD 950

204.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.64 IQD 964

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.54 IQD 816

87.04%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$0.94 IQD 1,424

115.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.10 IQD 10.7K

38.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.00 IQD 4,536

46.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.80 IQD 11.8K

-2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.64 IQD 970

415.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.67 IQD 1,013

107.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.51 IQD 769

356.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.22 IQD 332

581.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.27 IQD 408

774.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.32 IQD 483

493.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.61 IQD 928

95.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.51 IQD 773

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.62 IQD 2,448

85.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.82 IQD 16.3K

-44.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.41 IQD 2,124

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.88 IQD 2,838

-6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.40 IQD 600

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$19.83 IQD 30.0K

-36.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.61 IQD 2,438

-52.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.61 IQD 2,430

-85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.86 IQD 5,830

15.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.29 IQD 432

351.72%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$13.2K IQD 19.9M

61.04%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

27.48%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$92.5 IQD 139.8K

29.99%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$12.26 IQD 18.5K

14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$23.36 IQD 35.3K

17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$36.85 IQD 55.7K

-12.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$6.72 IQD 10.2K

-1.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.74 IQD 10.2K

-16.17%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$307 IQD 463.9K

-10.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$588 IQD 888.5K

1246.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

204.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$13.44 IQD 20.3K

87.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$59.1 IQD 89.3K

30.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$15.72 IQD 23.8K

263.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$176 IQD 265.7K

184.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$130 IQD 196.5K

137.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$381 IQD 575.7K

182.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$305 IQD 461.0K

101.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$745 IQD 1.1M

287.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$587 IQD 887.1K

226.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$537 IQD 811.7K

-35.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.53

184.58%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Al-mawsil

$130 21.6% 57.9% $179

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Al-mawsil

$131 21.8% 36.3% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Al-mawsil

$128 21.3% 20.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.8% 50% $47

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Al-mawsil

$84 13.9% 5.1% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 15.4% $6.7

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Al-mawsil

$31 5.2% 99.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 55% 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 $10.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $131 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

21:02 9:02 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,683,000

💱 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 = 70.79 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-mawsil 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Al-mawsil. 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 $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $307 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Al-mawsil 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-mawsil 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-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.