Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $477 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Babol

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $477 in Babol, rent included.

Cebu $918
Babol $477

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $737 in Babol, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Babol $737

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $996 in Babol, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Babol $996

Cebu costs about 92% more than Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Babol are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Babol 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.09 $3.09

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$10.50 $10.50

130.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.95 $3.95

-0.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 $0.69

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.07 $1.07

134.58%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.29 $0.29

448.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.67 $1.67

-68.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.67 $0.67

186.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.18 $0.18

655.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.45 $2.45

-58.78%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.17 $1.17

73.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$1.94 $1.94

408.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.36 $3.36

30.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.53 $9.53

-20.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.17 $1.17

182.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.44 $1.44

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.48 $0.48

385.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.48 $0.48

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.29 $0.29

713.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.29 $0.29

555.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.31 $0.31

283.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.13 $0.13

384.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.27 $2.27

32.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.13 $0.13

92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$9.76 $9.76

29.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.48 $0.48

60.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.31 $0.31

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.03 $3.03

47.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.10 $0.10

1210.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$49.7K $49.7K

-57.28%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$30.1K $30.1K

-36.34%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$12.98 $12.98

826.27%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.63 $1.63

758.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.73 $3.73

638.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$18.30 $18.30

76.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$13.24 $13.24

-49.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$1.96 $1.96

188.27%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$48.30 $48.30

470.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,428 $2,428

226.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$19.88 $19.88

148.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$15.17 $15.17

66.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$52.9 $52.9

45.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$39.50 $39.50

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$288 $288

73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$213 $213

45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$783 $783

37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$361 $361

70.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$908 $908

217.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$597 $597

220.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$127 $127

172.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

23.75

-69.68%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Babol

$213 44.6% 31.2% $96

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Babol

$97 20.4% 52.8% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Babol

$18 3.8% 88.7% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Babol

$57 12% 38.9% $37

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Babol

$57 12% 35.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Babol

$22 4.7% 49.1% $21

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Babol

$12 2.6% 20.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $288 in Babol. 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 173% 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 $10.00 in Babol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $97.0 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Babol

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

14:05 2:05 PM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

220,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Babol 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Babol

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 Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $477 in Babol – roughly 92% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $716 in Babol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Babol, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Babol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $48.30 in Babol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $477 in Babol, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $477 in Babol to $918 in Cebu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Babol. 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.