Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Baghdadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $640 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Baghdadi
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Baghdadi Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Baghdadi

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $640 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Cebu $918
Baghdadi $640

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $986 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Baghdadi $986

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,331 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Baghdadi $1,331

Cebu costs about 43% more than Baghdadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Baghdadi are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Baghdadi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.97 IQD 5,997

-22.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$14.10 IQD 21.3K

71.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.80 IQD 10.3K

-42.35%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.93 IQD 2,916

30.05%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.41 IQD 623

287.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.22 IQD 325

140.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.55 IQD 3,856

-30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.34 IQD 3,533

-7.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.98 IQD 1,487

95.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.49 IQD 736

177.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.65 IQD 3,998

-61.89%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.83 IQD 2,763

10.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.85 IQD 5,812

156.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.12 IQD 4,714

40.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$8.38 IQD 12.7K

-9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.97 IQD 1,459

240.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.97 IQD 1,465

43.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.90 IQD 1,361

158.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.61 IQD 925

145.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.52 IQD 783

353.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.67 IQD 1,015

183.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.51 IQD 777

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.57 IQD 861

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.70 IQD 2,575

76.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

-43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.64 IQD 2,471

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.76 IQD 2,658

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.40 IQD 598

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$22.63 IQD 34.2K

-44.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.84 IQD 2,777

-58.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.51 IQD 2,276

-84.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.49 IQD 8,292

-18.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.58 IQD 871

125.86%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$16.2K IQD 24.5M

30.86%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$14.7K IQD 22.3M

30.01%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$85.1 IQD 128.6K

41.30%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$13.61 IQD 20.6K

2.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.16 IQD 56.2K

-13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.23 IQD 14.0K

-38.79%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$148 IQD 224.3K

85.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,792 IQD 4.2M

183.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$20.82 IQD 31.5K

136.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$23.68 IQD 35.8K

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$47.50 IQD 71.8K

62.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$31.69 IQD 47.9K

80.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$173 IQD 261.7K

188.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$131 IQD 197.2K

136.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$378 IQD 571.6K

184.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$311 IQD 470.0K

97.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$722 IQD 1.1M

299.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$571 IQD 862.4K

235.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$501 IQD 757.4K

-30.99%

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 Baghdadi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Baghdadi

$131 20.4% 57.7% $178

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Baghdadi

$147 23% 28.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Baghdadi

$123 19.1% 24.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Baghdadi

$56 8.7% 40.7% $38

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Baghdadi

$95 14.9% 7.9% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Baghdadi

$56 8.7% 27.5% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Baghdadi

$34 5.3% 116% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $173 in Baghdadi. 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 45% higher in Baghdadi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $14.00 in Baghdadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $147 – making Baghdadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Baghdadi

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

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

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Baghdadi 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Baghdadi

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 Baghdadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $960 in Baghdadi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $640 in Baghdadi. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Baghdadi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $640 in Baghdadi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Baghdadi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Baghdadi. 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.