Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al Mubarraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,270 in Al Mubarraz, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Al Mubarraz
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,270
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $1,270 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

  • Cebu $918
  • Al Mubarraz $1,270

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,895 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Al Mubarraz $1,895

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $2,520 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Al Mubarraz $2,520

Cebu is about 28% cheaper than Al Mubarraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Cebu and Al Mubarraz are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Al Mubarraz 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$7.30 SAR 27.37
-57.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$37.10 SAR 139
-34.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$7.83 SAR 29.39
-49.94%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.11 SAR 7.93
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.10 SAR 7.89
-
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$4.27 SAR 16.02
-41.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.70 SAR 2.64
127.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.28 SAR 1.06
89.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.77 SAR 6.65
8.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.25 SAR 4.71
8.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$2.45 SAR 9.20
-58.78%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$3.12 SAR 11.69
-34.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$10.53 SAR 39.51
-6.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$9.70 SAR 36.40
-54.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$14.83 SAR 55.6
-48.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.92 SAR 10.97
13.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.98 SAR 7.42
-29.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$2.45 SAR 9.19
-4.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.72 SAR 6.46
-12.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.18 SAR 4.41
100.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.27 SAR 4.77
49.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.71 SAR 6.40
-30.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.58 SAR 2.19
8.62%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$2.86 SAR 10.73
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.82 SAR 6.84
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.40 SAR 8.99
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$7.56 SAR 28.35
-60.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$1.09 SAR 4.10
-77.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$36.60 SAR 137
-65.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$3.28 SAR 12.29
-76.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.86 SAR 6.98
-87.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$13.09 SAR 49.11
-65.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$0.64 SAR 2.40
104.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$35.3K SAR 132.5K
-39.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$22.9K SAR 85.9K
-16.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$109 SAR 410
10.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$30.08 SAR 113
-53.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$73.1 SAR 274
-62.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$82.5 SAR 310
-60.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$13.52 SAR 50.7
-58.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$542 SAR 2,032
-49.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$10.1K SAR 37.9K
-21.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$58.5 SAR 220
-15.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$54.3 SAR 204
-53.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$105 SAR 392
-26.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$105 SAR 393
-45.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$580 SAR 2,178
-13.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$371 SAR 1,391
-16.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$830 SAR 3,115
29.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$571 SAR 2,143
7.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$2,398 SAR 8,998
20.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$1,362 SAR 5,109
40.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Al Mubarraz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$1,089 SAR 4,086
-68.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
5.54
29.96%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al Mubarraz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Al Mubarraz
$371 20% $62
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Al Mubarraz
$242 17.5% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Al Mubarraz
$212 31.3% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Al Mubarraz
$145 54.3% $51
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Al Mubarraz
$137 55.3% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Al Mubarraz
$110 151% $66
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Al Mubarraz
$54 244% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $580 in Al Mubarraz. 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 215% higher in Al Mubarraz, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $37.00 in Al Mubarraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $242 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz
🕒 Local time
15:09 3:09 PM
10:09 10:09 AM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
290,802
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Al Mubarraz 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Al Mubarraz

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 Mubarraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cebu and in Al Mubarraz compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $1,270 in Al Mubarraz – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Cebu compared to Al Mubarraz?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $1,905 in Al Mubarraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cebu and Al Mubarraz?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cebu and Al Mubarraz?
Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $542 in Al Mubarraz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Al Mubarraz, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Al Mubarraz at $1,270. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al Mubarraz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Al Mubarraz?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in Cebu to $1,270 in Al Mubarraz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cebu or Al Mubarraz safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Cebu and Al Mubarraz?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al Mubarraz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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