Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ariana

For one person, living is cheaper in Ariana: $666 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Ariana
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$666
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ariana

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $666 in Ariana, rent included.

  • Cebu $918
  • Ariana $666

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,039 in Ariana, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Ariana $1,039

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,413 in Ariana, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Ariana $1,413

Cebu costs about 38% more than Ariana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Ariana are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Ariana 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$4.44 TND 13.29
-30.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$17.44 TND 52.3
38.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$4.77 TND 14.29
-17.82%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$1.11 TND 3.33
126.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.66 TND 1.97
140.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.33 TND 1.00
60.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.65 TND 4.95
7.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$1.38 TND 4.12
57.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.52 TND 1.56
269.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.26 TND 0.78
423.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.77 TND 5.30
-42.94%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.55 TND 4.64
30.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$7.27 TND 21.79
35.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$6.03 TND 18.06
-27.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$11.19 TND 33.52
-32.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$1.66 TND 4.97
98.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.65 TND 7.93
-47.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.12 TND 3.34
108.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$0.76 TND 2.28
97.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.80 TND 2.40
195.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.71 TND 2.11
167.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.52 TND 1.57
128.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.33 TND 0.99
90.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$3.43 TND 10.28
-12.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$6.78 TND 20.30
-11.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.24 TND 3.70
-0.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.58 TND 4.73
10.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.35 TND 1.04
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$10.04 TND 30.07
25.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$0.30 TND 0.89
156.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.33 TND 1.00
-30.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$1.75 TND 5.25
154.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$0.82 TND 2.44
59.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$37.3K TND 111.7K
-43.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$33.3K TND 99.7K
-42.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$59.8 TND 179
101.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$9.20 TND 27.55
52.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$20.51 TND 61.4
34.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$31.26 TND 93.6
3.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$16.96 TND 50.8
-60.79%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$4.36 TND 13.07
29.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$103 TND 308
168.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$3,289 TND 9,850
140.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$38.46 TND 115
28.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$58.2 TND 174
-56.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$90.1 TND 270
-14.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$65.7 TND 197
-12.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$244 TND 731
104.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$160 TND 479
93.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$441 TND 1,322
144.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$292 TND 876
110.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$1,110 TND 3,324
160.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$732 TND 2,193
161.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Ariana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$331 TND 991
4.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
10.67
-32.52%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ariana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Ariana
$160 48.2% $149
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Ariana
$172 16.5% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Ariana
$89 44.7% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Ariana
$114 20.9% $20
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Ariana
$78 11.4% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Ariana
$40 8.3% $3.6
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Ariana
$13 14% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $244 in Ariana. 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 5% higher in Cebu, 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 $17.00 in Ariana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $172 – making Ariana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇹🇳 Ariana
🕒 Local time
05:25 5:25 AM
22:25 10:25 PM
7 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
114,486
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Ariana 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Ariana

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 Ariana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cebu and in Ariana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $666 in Ariana – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Cebu compared to Ariana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $1,000 in Ariana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cebu and Ariana?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ariana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $17.00 in Ariana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Cebu compared to Ariana?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $666 in Ariana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Ariana?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $666 in Ariana to $918 in Cebu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cebu or Ariana 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 Ariana?
If budget matters most, go with Ariana. 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.

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