Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $943 a month against $1,130 in Astana, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu, Philippines
Astana, Kazakhstan
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$943
/mo nomad
Astana
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,130
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Astana

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

A single person spends $943 per month in Cebu vs $1,130 in Astana, rent included.

  • Cebu $943
  • Astana $1,130

A couple spends around $1,437 per month in Cebu vs $1,808 in Astana, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,437
  • Astana $1,808

A family of three spends $1,930 per month in Cebu vs $2,485 in Astana, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,930
  • Astana $2,485

Cebu is about 17% cheaper than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cebu and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 30% lower, Astana 16% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.88 ₱244
$11.05 ₸4,982
-64.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.22 ₱1,462
$37.29 ₸16.8K
-37.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.90 ₱246
$7.97 ₸3,591
-51.07%
Cappuccino
$2.56 ₱161
$2.51 ₸1,130
1.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ₱101
$1.11 ₸498
44.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₱32.03
$0.62 ₸280
-17.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.76 ₱111
$1.32 ₸593
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 ₱136
$2.17 ₸980
-0.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.99 ₱125
$1.32 ₸596
50.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ₱86.3
$0.65 ₸293
110.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.95 ₱59.9
$1.56 ₸704
-39.10%
Eggs
$2.02 ₱127
$2.24 ₸1,011
-9.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 ₱606
$12.54 ₸5,655
-23.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.35 ₱274
$6.04 ₸2,723
-27.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.70 ₱485
$10.76 ₸4,851
-28.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱207
$1.76 ₸795
87.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 ₱79.7
$2.33 ₸1,050
-45.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ₱148
$2.20 ₸992
6.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.51 ₱95.4
$2.10 ₸946
-28.10%
Potato (1kg)
$2.23 ₱141
$0.71 ₸319
214.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 ₱122
$0.44 ₸197
338.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 ₱74.4
$1.49 ₸672
-20.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 ₱40.93
$0.95 ₸430
-31.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.89 ₱182
$2.35 ₸1,059
22.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱400
$11.22 ₸5,058
-43.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₱80.1
$1.31 ₸592
-3.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ₱103
$2.34 ₸1,055
-29.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Astana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₱14.42
$0.25 ₸113
-8.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.24 ₱771
$16.64 ₸7,500
-26.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 ₱51.5
$1.10 ₸495
-25.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₱12.56
$1.13 ₸511
-82.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.32 ₱272
$5.94 ₸2,678
-27.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 ₱86.7
$0.68 ₸307
102.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$29.1K ₸13.1M
-27.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K ₱1.2M
$31.0K ₸14.0M
-37.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 ₱7,816
$67.2 ₸30.3K
84.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.93 ₱1,003
$9.93 ₸4,476
60.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 ₱1,768
$17.45 ₸7,867
60.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.41 ₱2,104
$55.1 ₸24.8K
-39.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.40 ₱403
$20.83 ₸9,388
-69.28%
Cinema Ticket
$5.85 ₱368
$6.71 ₸3,023
-12.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$271 ₱17.0K
$492 ₸221.9K
-45.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,060 ₱507.5K
$21.5K ₸9.7M
-62.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.31 ₱3,042
$65.6 ₸29.6K
-26.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.56 ₱1,546
$45.64 ₸20.6K
-46.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.1 ₱4,856
$117 ₸52.5K
-33.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.5 ₱3,558
$130 ₸58.7K
-56.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Astana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$495 ₱31.2K
$567 ₸255.5K
-12.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$322 ₱20.3K
$390 ₸175.9K
-17.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$990 ₱62.4K
$1,131 ₸509.8K
-12.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 ₱39.6K
$771 ₸347.7K
-18.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,459 ₱280.7K
$1,650 ₸744.1K
170.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,030 ₱190.8K
$1,153 ₸520.0K
162.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Astana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$343 ₱21.6K
$919 ₸414.3K
-62.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
14.83
-51.45%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Astana: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$322
Astana
$390 21.3% $69
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Astana
$231 12.4% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$168
Astana
$95 43.8% $74
Eating Out
Cebu
$95
Astana
$160 68.7% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$93
Astana
$161 73.4% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$45
Astana
$68 51.8% $23
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Astana
$24 63.1% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Cebu versus $567 in Astana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Astana are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Cebu versus $37 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $231 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇰🇿 Astana
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
09:36 9:36 AM
3 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
814,400 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 451 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Astana 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Astana

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 Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cebu and in Astana compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $943 in Cebu, $1,130 in Astana – Cebu comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Cebu compared to Astana?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Cebu and $1,695 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cebu and Astana?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $495 there versus $567 in Astana.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cebu and Astana?
Kindergarten costs $271 per month in Cebu and $492 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Astana, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Astana?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $943 in Cebu to $1,130 in Astana. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cebu or Astana safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Cebu and Astana?
If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Astana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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