Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $943 a month against $3,421 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ashgabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $3,421 in Ashgabat.

Cebu $943
Ashgabat $3,421

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $5,126 in Ashgabat.

Cebu $1,437
Ashgabat $5,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $6,831 in Ashgabat.

Cebu $1,930
Ashgabat $6,831

Living in Cebu costs roughly 72% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Ashgabat is 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$31.59 TMT 106

-87.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$86.0 TMT 289

-73.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$12.90 TMT 43.34

-69.77%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$6.98 TMT 23.46

-63.32%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$1.61 TMT 5.42

-0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.02

$0.90 TMT 3.01

-43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

$5.78 TMT 19.41

-69.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

$13.56 TMT 45.55

-84.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$4.46 TMT 14.99

-55.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$2.03 TMT 6.81

-32.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.8

$5.89 TMT 19.79

-83.87%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$6.19 TMT 20.80

-67.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$37.71 TMT 127

-74.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$19.99 TMT 67.2

-78.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$23.57 TMT 79.2

-67.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$5.25 TMT 17.63

-37.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$8.59 TMT 28.88

-85.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$7.49 TMT 25.16

-68.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.3

$3.82 TMT 12.82

-60.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$2.33 TMT 7.83

-4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.43 TMT 4.80

34.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$2.67 TMT 8.96

-55.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.92

$1.10 TMT 3.68

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$25.93 TMT 87.1

-88.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

$41.76 TMT 140

-84.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.0

$5.22 TMT 17.53

-75.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$2.93 TMT 9.85

-44.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.12 TMT 0.41

91.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱770

$10.04 TMT 33.73

21.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$2.97 TMT 9.98

-72.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$0.90 TMT 3.01

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$8.90 TMT 29.89

-51.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$0.45 TMT 1.50

206.67%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$44.7K TMT 150.1K

-52.54%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$57.9K TMT 194.4K

-66.68%

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

$124 ₱7,814

$571 TMT 1,920

-78.27%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$56.9 TMT 191

-71.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,767

$106 TMT 355

-73.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,103

$198 TMT 666

-83.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$45.91 TMT 154

-86.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$8.82 TMT 29.64

-33.67%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$23.34 TMT 78.4

1059.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.3K

$27.2K TMT 91.5K

-70.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,041

$55.3 TMT 186

-12.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$114 TMT 382

-78.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,855

$365 TMT 1,226

-78.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,557

$194 TMT 652

-70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$1,443 TMT 4,850

-65.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.2K

$1,011 TMT 3,398

-68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.3K

$2,270 TMT 7,627

-56.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.5K

$1,925 TMT 6,466

-67.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.6K

$3,521 TMT 11.8K

26.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.7K

$2,844 TMT 9,556

6.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

$767 TMT 2,576

-55.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.5

-24.21%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Ashgabat

$1K 29.6% 214% $690

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Ashgabat

$673 19.7% 227% $467

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Ashgabat

$734 21.5% 336% $566

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Ashgabat

$441 12.9% 365% $346

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Ashgabat

$328 9.6% 252% $235

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Ashgabat

$216 6.3% 379% $171

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Ashgabat

$18 0.5% 20.1% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $1,443 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays about 2.2 times 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: $23 in Cebu vs $86 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $673 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

01:39 1:39 AM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.66 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Ashgabat 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $943 in Cebu and $3,421 in Ashgabat, so Cebu is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Cebu. 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: $495 in Cebu versus $1,443 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $271 in Cebu versus $23 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 227% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Ashgabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cebu wins on affordability, Ashgabat on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.