Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Az Zubayr

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $630 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Az Zubayr
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Az Zubayr Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Az Zubayr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $630 in Az Zubayr.

Cebu $918
Az Zubayr $630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,022 in Az Zubayr.

Cebu $1,409
Az Zubayr $1,022

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,415 in Az Zubayr.

Cebu $1,900
Az Zubayr $1,415

Living in Cebu is roughly 46% more expensive than in Az Zubayr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Az Zubayr 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$3.65 IQD 5,510

-15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$20.61 IQD 31.1K

17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.13 IQD 9,269

-36.05%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.61 IQD 3,948

-3.83%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.36 IQD 545

341.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$0.21 IQD 325

152.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.24 IQD 4,903

-45.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.58 IQD 3,898

-15.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.95 IQD 1,432

102.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.72 IQD 1,092

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.38 IQD 2,092

-26.81%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.56 IQD 2,359

30.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.14 IQD 6,254

138.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.73 IQD 5,637

17.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.03 IQD 18.2K

-36.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.84 IQD 1,277

292.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.97 IQD 1,468

43.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.89 IQD 1,350

161.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.69 IQD 1,046

117.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.56 IQD 849

321.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.51 IQD 765

272.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.51 IQD 767

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.44 IQD 661

43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.85 IQD 2,795

62.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$9.37 IQD 14.2K

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.49 IQD 2,251

-17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.68 IQD 2,537

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.38 IQD 567

-34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$21.78 IQD 32.9K

-41.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$1.98 IQD 2,990

-61.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.33 IQD 2,007

-82.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$6.35 IQD 9,602

-29.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.59 IQD 885

122.03%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

21.87%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$19.2K IQD 29.1M

-0.48%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$75.0 IQD 113.3K

60.31%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$11.17 IQD 16.9K

25.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$22.29 IQD 33.7K

23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$38.46 IQD 58.1K

-15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.03 IQD 13.6K

-37.43%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$157 IQD 237.9K

74.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$2,436 IQD 3.7M

225.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$20.33 IQD 30.7K

142.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$23.82 IQD 36.0K

5.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$43.76 IQD 66.1K

75.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$30.83 IQD 46.6K

85.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$166 IQD 251.4K

200.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$125 IQD 188.3K

147.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$420 IQD 634.1K

156.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$351 IQD 530.1K

75.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$643 IQD 971.0K

349.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$493 IQD 744.3K

289.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.33

116.22%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Az Zubayr: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Az Zubayr

$125 19.8% 59.6% $184

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Az Zubayr

$152 24.2% 26% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Az Zubayr

$108 17.2% 33% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Az Zubayr

$53 8.5% 43.1% $41

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Az Zubayr

$103 16.3% 16.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Az Zubayr

$57 9% 29.6% $13

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Az Zubayr

$32 5.1% 105% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $166 in Az Zubayr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $21.00 in Az Zubayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $152 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

19:43 7:43 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

370,000

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 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

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Between locations

Cebu Az Zubayr 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Az Zubayr

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 Az Zubayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu and Az Zubayr differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $630 including rent). Az Zubayr is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $945 in Az Zubayr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $166 in Az Zubayr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Az Zubayr – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Az Zubayr gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Az Zubayr 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 Az Zubayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.