Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bandar Abbas

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Abbas: $573 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Abbas
Learn more

Bandar Abbas Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Bandar Abbas

🇮🇷 Iran

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bandar Abbas

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $573 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Cebu $918
Bandar Abbas $573

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $889 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Bandar Abbas $889

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,204 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Bandar Abbas $1,204

Cebu costs about 60% more than Bandar Abbas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Bandar Abbas are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Bandar Abbas 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.01 $3.01

2.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$16.68 $16.68

45.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.09 $4.09

-4.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.13 $1.13

122.12%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.48 $0.48

231.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.08 $1.08

-50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.70 $0.70

174.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.49 $0.49

177.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.09 $2.09

-51.67%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.25 $1.25

62.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.37 $4.37

125.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.28 $3.28

33.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.10 $10.10

-24.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.01 $1.01

226.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.54 $1.54

-9.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.87 $0.87

167.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.60 $0.60

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.55 $0.55

329.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.47 $0.47

304.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.57 $0.57

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.26 $0.26

142.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.85 $0.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.43 $2.43

23.46%

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

$0.17 $0.17

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$9.41 $9.41

34.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.41 $0.41

87.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.29 $0.29

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.64 $2.64

68.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.09 $0.09

1355.56%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$56.9K $56.9K

-62.66%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$45.2K $45.2K

-57.65%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$13.18 $13.18

812.22%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.62 $1.62

764.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.68 $3.68

648.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$18.57 $18.57

74.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$13.19 $13.19

-49.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$1.95 $1.95

189.74%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$106 $106

160.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,365 $2,365

234.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$22.39 $22.39

120.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$28.50 $28.50

-11.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$95.7 $95.7

-19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$72.7 $72.7

-21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$340 $340

46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$251 $251

22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$793 $793

35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$409 $409

50.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,018 $1,018

183.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$545 $545

251.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$178 $178

94.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

24.3

-70.37%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bandar Abbas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Bandar Abbas

$251 43.9% 18.6% $57

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Bandar Abbas

$114 19.9% 44.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Bandar Abbas

$18 3.2% 88.6% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Bandar Abbas

$99 17.2% 5.1% $4.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bandar Abbas

$56 9.8% 36.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Bandar Abbas

$22 3.9% 48.5% $21

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Bandar Abbas

$12 2.1% 23.2% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $340 in Bandar Abbas. 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 94% 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 $17.00 in Bandar Abbas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $114 – making Bandar Abbas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Bandar Abbas

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

06:01 6:01 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

526,648

💱 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

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Between locations

Cebu Bandar Abbas 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bandar Abbas

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 Bandar Abbas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 60%, 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 $859 in Bandar Abbas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandar Abbas, 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 $573 in Bandar Abbas. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Bandar Abbas. 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 $573 in Bandar Abbas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bandar Abbas – 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 Bandar Abbas. 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.