Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Amol

For one person, living is cheaper in Amol: $536 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Amol
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Amol Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Amol

🇮🇷 Iran

$536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Amol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $536 in Amol.

Cebu $918
Amol $536

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $855 in Amol.

Cebu $1,409
Amol $855

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,173 in Amol.

Cebu $1,900
Amol $1,173

Living in Cebu is roughly 71% more expensive than in Amol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Amol 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.91 $2.91

6.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$18.11 $18.11

33.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.09 $4.09

-4.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 $0.76

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.33 $1.33

88.72%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.44 $0.44

261.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.88 $0.88

-39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.57 $0.57

236.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.60 $0.60

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.07 $2.07

-51.21%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.19 $1.19

70.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.32 $4.32

128.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.47 $3.47

26.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.11 $10.11

-24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.39 $1.39

137.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.79 $1.79

-22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.74 $0.74

214.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.69 $0.69

117.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.59 $0.59

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.48 $0.48

295.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.57 $0.57

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.30 $0.30

110.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$0.98 $0.98

206.12%

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

$0.14 $0.14

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$9.69 $9.69

30.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.51 $0.51

50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.29 $0.29

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.92 $2.92

52.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.10 $0.10

1210.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$50.8K $50.8K

-58.19%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$44.5K $44.5K

-56.93%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$12.81 $12.81

838.56%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.64 $1.64

753.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.78 $3.78

628.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$16.27 $16.27

98.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$16.27 $16.27

-59.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$1.52 $1.52

271.71%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$107 $107

157.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,426 $2,426

226.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$19.83 $19.83

148.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$20.79 $20.79

21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$115 $115

-32.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$71.4 $71.4

-19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$344 $344

45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$209 $209

47.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$809 $809

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$354 $354

73.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$925 $925

211.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$413 $413

364.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$228 $228

51.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

24.79

-70.96%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Amol: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Amol

$209 39.1% 32.2% $100

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Amol

$118 22% 42.6% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Amol

$18 3.4% 88.7% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Amol

$102 19% 8.6% $8.1

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Amol

$57 10.6% 35.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Amol

$19 3.6% 55.7% $24

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Amol

$12 2.3% 21.7% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $344 in Amol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $18.00 in Amol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $118 per month, with Amol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Amol

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

07:35 7:35 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

225,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Amol 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Amol

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 Amol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu and Amol differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $536 including rent). Amol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $344 in Amol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $536 in Amol – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Amol runs roughly 30% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Amol gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Amol 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 Amol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.