Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Badulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $543 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Badulla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $543 in Badulla.

Cebu $918
Badulla $543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $877 in Badulla.

Cebu $1,409
Badulla $877

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,211 in Badulla.

Cebu $1,900
Badulla $1,211

Living in Cebu is roughly 69% more expensive than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Badulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.88 LKR 1,287

-20.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$25.05 LKR 8,298

-3.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.37 LKR 2,442

-46.81%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.55 LKR 844

-1.57%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.71 LKR 236

123.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 LKR 89.5

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.22 LKR 735

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.07 LKR 1,015

-29.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.55 LKR 514

23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.53 LKR 174

156.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.60 LKR 199

68.33%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.66 LKR 551

22.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.97 LKR 4,627

-29.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.56 LKR 1,178

23.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.62 LKR 2,522

-0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$6.65 LKR 2,202

-50.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.87 LKR 288

59.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$4.35 LKR 1,440

-46.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.33 LKR 439

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.99 LKR 329

138.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.77 LKR 255

146.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.87 LKR 287

36.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.45 LKR 151

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$10.13 LKR 3,354

-70.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$12.74 LKR 4,221

-52.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.90 LKR 628

-35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.93 LKR 971

-40.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.38 LKR 125

102.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.37 LKR 123

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$0.88 LKR 293

406.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.38 LKR 456

-5.07%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.5K LKR 12.1M

-41.83%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$40.7K LKR 13.5M

-52.98%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$57.9 LKR 19.2K

107.83%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$4.31 LKR 1,429

224.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$21.13 LKR 6,998

30.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.49 LKR 1,488

25.84%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$38.34 LKR 12.7K

618.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,205 LKR 399.2K

557.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$18.44 LKR 6,108

167.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$16.32 LKR 5,405

54.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$80.2 LKR 26.6K

-4.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$41.30 LKR 13.7K

38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$76.1 LKR 25.2K

556.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$44.45 LKR 14.7K

594.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$89.9 LKR 29.8K

584.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,542 LKR 1.5M

-36.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$742 LKR 245.8K

158.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$224 LKR 74.3K

54.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Badulla: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Badulla

$44 8.2% 85.6% $264

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Badulla

$229 42.2% 11.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Badulla

$83 15.3% 48.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Badulla

$70 12.9% 25.1% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Badulla

$105 19.3% 18.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Badulla

$9 * 1.7% 79.4% $35

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Badulla

$2.2 * 0.4% 85.6% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $76.1 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 54% 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $229 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

16:05 4:05 PM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

110,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Badulla 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Badulla

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $76.1 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $38.34 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Badulla gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Badulla is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.