Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and An Najaf

For one person, living is cheaper in An Najaf: $586 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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 An Najaf
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An Najaf Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

An Najaf

🇮🇶 Iraq

$586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in An Najaf

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $586 in An Najaf, rent included.

Cebu $918
An Najaf $586

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $888 in An Najaf, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
An Najaf $888

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,190 in An Najaf, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
An Najaf $1,190

Cebu costs about 57% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and An Najaf are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, An Najaf 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.06 IQD 6,132

-23.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$19.68 IQD 29.7K

23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.25 IQD 6,429

-7.76%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.29 IQD 3,455

9.61%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.33 IQD 494

381.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.20 IQD 302

165.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.22 IQD 4,872

-44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.98 IQD 2,989

9.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.90 IQD 1,363

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.68 IQD 1,022

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.31 IQD 1,981

-22.90%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.48 IQD 2,240

37.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.41 IQD 5,154

189.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.07 IQD 6,157

7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.27 IQD 14.0K

-18.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.01 IQD 1,530

226.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.96 IQD 1,445

44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.88 IQD 1,333

164.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.63 IQD 950

138.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.58 IQD 880

306.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.56 IQD 841

239.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.58 IQD 875

105.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.49 IQD 742

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.70 IQD 2,564

76.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$11.66 IQD 17.6K

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.92 IQD 2,907

-35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.33 IQD 492

-24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$18.92 IQD 28.6K

-33.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.34 IQD 2,022

-42.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.29 IQD 1,942

-82.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.36 IQD 8,095

-16.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.39 IQD 584

235.90%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$12.0K IQD 18.1M

77.18%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

14.42%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$34.90 IQD 52.7K

244.50%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$14.79 IQD 22.3K

-5.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$32.93 IQD 49.8K

-16.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$25.24 IQD 38.1K

28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$8.38 IQD 12.7K

-32.58%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$147 IQD 222.3K

87.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$799 IQD 1.2M

891.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$14.90 IQD 22.5K

231.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$23.76 IQD 35.9K

6.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$60.5 IQD 91.5K

27.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$41.72 IQD 63.0K

37.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$235 IQD 354.8K

112.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$124 IQD 187.9K

148.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$319 IQD 481.5K

238.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$194 IQD 292.4K

217.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,118 IQD 1.7M

158.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$455 IQD 687.3K

321.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$659 IQD 996.4K

-47.54%

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 An Najaf: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

An Najaf

$124 21.2% 59.7% $185

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

An Najaf

$151 25.7% 26.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

An Najaf

$83 14.1% 48.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

An Najaf

$63 10.8% 32.5% $31

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

An Najaf

$95 16.2% 7.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

An Najaf

$42 7.2% 3.7% $1.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

An Najaf

$28 4.8% 79.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $235 in An Najaf. 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 91% higher in An Najaf, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $20.00 in An Najaf. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $151 – making An Najaf the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 An Najaf

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,221,248

💱 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 An Najaf 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
An Najaf

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 An Najaf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu costs about 57% more than An Najaf, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $879 in An Najaf. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in An Najaf, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $586 in An Najaf. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 50% less in An Najaf. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $586 in An Najaf, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. An Najaf costs $586 versus $918 in Cebu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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