Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,001 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,001 in Baghdad.

Cebu $918
Baghdad $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,472 in Baghdad.

Cebu $1,409
Baghdad $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,943 in Baghdad.

Cebu $1,900
Baghdad $1,943

Living in Cebu costs roughly 8% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Baghdad 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.27 IQD 6,445

-27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

-17.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

-42.10%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.65 IQD 4,003

-5.28%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.35 IQD 530

354.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.20 IQD 302

165.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.26 IQD 4,927

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.22 IQD 4,868

-32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.97 IQD 1,466

97.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.73 IQD 1,097

86.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.33 IQD 2,003

-24.06%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.68 IQD 2,534

20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.25 IQD 4,912

203.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.10 IQD 6,192

7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

-38.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.01 IQD 1,523

226.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.98 IQD 1,487

41.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.96 IQD 1,444

142.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.69 IQD 1,045

117.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.56 IQD 842

321.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.57 IQD 855

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.53 IQD 806

124.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.62 IQD 943

1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.68 IQD 2,534

78.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

-48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.89 IQD 2,863

-34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.90 IQD 2,876

-7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.57 IQD 858

-56.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

-37.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$2.01 IQD 3,038

-61.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.34 IQD 2,029

-82.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$6.54 IQD 9,887

-31.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.54 IQD 810

142.59%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

30.27%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

15.46%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$189 IQD 285.6K

-36.39%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

-19.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

-24.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

-22.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

-64.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

-41.39%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$145 IQD 218.9K

90.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

159.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

99.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

-11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$513 IQD 774.7K

-2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$322 IQD 485.8K

-3.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$881 IQD 1.3M

22.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$595 IQD 899.0K

3.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

-33.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

32.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$499 IQD 753.9K

-30.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.12

74.76%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Baghdad

$322 32.1% 4.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Baghdad

$164 16.4% 20.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Baghdad

$243 24.3% 50.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Baghdad

$70 7% 25.8% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Baghdad

$111 11.1% 26% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Baghdad

$61 6.1% 39.3% $17

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Baghdad

$31 3.1% 99.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $513 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 44% 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 $29.00 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $164, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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 = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 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 Baghdad 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cebu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Baghdad. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $513 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 59% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,001 in Baghdad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cebu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cebu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Baghdad 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.