Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $320 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Banda Aceh
Learn more

Banda Aceh Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Banda Aceh

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

A single person spends $915 per month in Cebu vs $320 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Cebu $915
Banda Aceh $320

A couple spends around $1,418 per month in Cebu vs $511 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Cebu $1,418
Banda Aceh $511

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Cebu vs $702 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Cebu $1,921
Banda Aceh $702

Cebu costs about 186% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 33% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

41.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$6.74 Rp 121.3K

256.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$3.34 Rp 60.1K

19.46%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

111.86%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.38 Rp 6,778

305.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.21 Rp 3,774

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.47 Rp 44.5K

-27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.94 Rp 70.9K

-44.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

21.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

59.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

28.75%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.65 Rp 29.7K

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$8.49 Rp 152.9K

20.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

83.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$6.59 Rp 118.7K

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

51.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

71.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

190.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

75.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

196.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$3.42 Rp 61.5K

-43.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

41.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.40 Rp 7,281

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

-0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

59.04%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$119 ₱7,464

$33.38 Rp 600.8K

255.15%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

523.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$23.39 Rp 421.0K

17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$9.66 Rp 173.8K

234.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$13.06 Rp 235.2K

-50.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

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

$276 ₱17.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$1,931 Rp 34.8M

307.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$27.16 Rp 488.9K

81.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$22.04 Rp 396.8K

11.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$43.60 Rp 784.8K

75.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$27.35 Rp 492.3K

115.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Banda Aceh

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Banda Aceh

$133 * 41.6% 36.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Banda Aceh

$59 18.5% 63.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Banda Aceh

$54 16.9% 42.6% $40

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Banda Aceh

$64 20% 27% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Banda Aceh

$9.7 * 3% 77.6% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Banda Aceh

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $7.00 in Banda Aceh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $133 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

223,446

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Banda Aceh 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 186%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,372 per month in Cebu and $480 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $7.00 in Banda Aceh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $915 in Cebu and $320 in Banda Aceh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Banda Aceh – 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 Banda Aceh. 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.