Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $482 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Arak
Learn more

Arak Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Arak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $482 in Arak.

Cebu $918
Arak $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $758 in Arak.

Cebu $1,409
Arak $758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,034 in Arak.

Cebu $1,900
Arak $1,034

Living in Cebu is roughly 90% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Arak 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.71 $3.71

-16.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,524

$12.65 $12.65

91.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱246

$4.09 $4.09

-4.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 $0.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.36 $1.36

84.56%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.48 $0.48

231.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.42

$1.73 $1.73

-69.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.55 $0.55

249.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.57 $0.57

138.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.90 $1.90

-46.84%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.22 $1.22

66.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$2.16 $2.16

356.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱276

$2.56 $2.56

71.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱478

$10.32 $10.32

-26.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.79 $0.79

317.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.7

$1.02 $1.02

36.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.63 $0.63

269.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.2

$0.51 $0.51

194.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.44 $0.44

436.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.41 $0.41

363.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.48 $0.48

147.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.69

$0.30 $0.30

110.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.54 $2.54

18.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.85

$0.10 $0.10

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱795

$9.52 $9.52

32.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.59

$0.25 $0.25

208.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.52

$0.12 $0.12

91.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱280

$1.03 $1.03

333.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.09 $0.09

1355.56%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$49.8K $49.8K

-57.34%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$34.4K $34.4K

-44.27%

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

$120 ₱7,566

$9.84 $9.84

1121.85%

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

$14.00 ₱881

$1.49 $1.49

839.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,733

$3.75 $3.75

634.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,034

$9.87 $9.87

227.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱418

$24.01 $24.01

-72.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱355

$1.12 $1.12

404.46%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$83.5 $83.5

229.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.3K

$2,319 $2,319

241.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,105

$13.43 $13.43

267.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$8.95 $8.95

182.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,844

$80.9 $80.9

-4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,600

$51.4 $51.4

11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.4K

$295 $295

69.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$211 $211

46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.8K

$806 $806

33.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$359 $359

71.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.6K

$1,354 $1,354

113.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.6K

$656 $656

192.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$368 $368

-5.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

18.5

-61.08%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Arak

$211 43.7% 31.7% $98

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Arak

$97 20.1% 53% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Arak

$15 3.1% 90.7% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Arak

$70 14.4% 25.9% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Arak

$67 13.9% 24% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Arak

$12 2.5% 72.2% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Arak

$11 2.2% 30.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $295 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arak pays 6% 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 $13.00 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $97.0 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

08:04 8:04 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

526,200

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.86 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Arak 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Arak

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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Arak. 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 $295 in Arak. 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 $482 in Arak – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 33% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Arak 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 Arak 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 Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.