Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Al-Ula

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,184 in Al-Ula, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
Learn more

Al-Ula Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $1,184 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Cebu $918
Al-Ula $1,184

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,757 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Al-Ula $1,757

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $2,330 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Al-Ula $2,330

Cebu is about 22% cheaper than Al-Ula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Cebu and Al-Ula are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Al-Ula 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$6.11 SAR 22.91

-49.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$36.80 SAR 138

-34.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.96 SAR 29.87

-50.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.17 SAR 11.89

-20.82%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.86 SAR 3.24

84.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.26 SAR 0.98

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.74 SAR 6.52

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.27 SAR 4.75

7.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.30 SAR 8.62

-56.09%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.32 SAR 8.72

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.39 SAR 27.75

33.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.07 SAR 30.27

-45.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.67 SAR 47.54

-40.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.25 SAR 8.45

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.58 SAR 5.94

47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.57 SAR 5.89

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.23 SAR 4.61

91.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.28 SAR 4.79

48.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.22 SAR 4.58

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.54 SAR 2.02

16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.74 SAR 25.28

-55.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.09 SAR 4.08

-77.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$36.77 SAR 138

-65.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$2.61 SAR 9.80

-70.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-87.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$13.14 SAR 49.29

-66.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.65 SAR 2.44

101.54%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

-51.75%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

-10.12%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$106 SAR 397

13.51%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$33.21 SAR 125

-57.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$65.8 SAR 247

-58.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$82.4 SAR 309

-60.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$13.33 SAR 50.0

-57.61%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$425 SAR 1,596

-35.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

-2.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$42.74 SAR 160

15.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$55.4 SAR 208

-54.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$96.2 SAR 361

-19.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$87.6 SAR 329

-34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$576 SAR 2,162

-13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$372 SAR 1,397

-17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$832 SAR 3,121

29.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$572 SAR 2,147

7.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,323 SAR 8,718

24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,382 SAR 5,187

38.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

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-Ula: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Al-Ula

$372 31.5% 20.6% $63

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Al-Ula

$203 17.1% 1.6% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Al-Ula

$205 17.3% 26.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Al-Ula

$127 10.7% 35.1% $33

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Al-Ula

$115 9.7% 30.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Al-Ula

$109 9.2% 150% $65

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Al-Ula

$53 4.5% 240% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $576 in Al-Ula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $37.00 in Al-Ula. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Cebu vs $203 in Al-Ula – so Al-Ula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

15:26 3:26 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

32,413

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Al-Ula 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Al-Ula

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-Ula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $1,184 in Al-Ula – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $1,776 in Al-Ula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $425 in Al-Ula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Al-Ula – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Al-Ula at $1,184. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al-Ula it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $918 in Cebu to $1,184 in Al-Ula. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al-Ula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.