Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Banja Luka

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,218 in Banja Luka, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
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Banja Luka Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Banja Luka

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

A single person spends $934 per month in Cebu vs $1,218 in Banja Luka, rent included.

Cebu $934
Banja Luka $1,218

A couple spends around $1,415 per month in Cebu vs $1,856 in Banja Luka, rent included.

Cebu $1,415
Banja Luka $1,856

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Cebu vs $2,495 in Banja Luka, rent included.

Cebu $1,896
Banja Luka $2,495

Cebu is about 23% cheaper than Banja Luka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cebu and Banja Luka are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 30% lower, Banja Luka 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$9.81 BAM 17.12

-69.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$50.8 BAM 88.7

-53.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$10.67 BAM 18.61

-61.67%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.76 BAM 3.06

43.18%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$2.59 BAM 4.51

-40.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.61 BAM 2.81

-69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.44 BAM 4.26

-26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.38 BAM 5.89

-33.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.44 BAM 2.50

35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.17 BAM 2.04

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.62 BAM 2.83

-37.04%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.80 BAM 4.89

-26.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$9.39 BAM 16.38

4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$8.75 BAM 15.26

-47.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$13.91 BAM 24.26

-44.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.82 BAM 3.18

81.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.91 BAM 3.33

-24.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.23 BAM 3.89

5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.20 BAM 3.84

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.97 BAM 1.70

143.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.40 BAM 2.44

42.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.14 BAM 1.99

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.92 BAM 1.61

-27.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.00 BAM 6.99

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$8.06 BAM 14.06

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.00 BAM 1.74

31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.34 BAM 2.34

29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$1.34 BAM 2.34

-81.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$44.25 BAM 77.2

-71.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$1.68 BAM 2.94

-55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.12 BAM 1.95

-81.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$17.02 BAM 29.70

-74.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.75 BAM 3.06

-24.00%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$30.7K BAM 53.6K

-29.19%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$21.1K BAM 36.9K

-8.23%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$159 BAM 277

-24.01%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$16.76 BAM 29.25

-13.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$36.64 BAM 63.9

-22.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$37.44 BAM 65.3

-12.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$14.58 BAM 25.44

-56.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$5.76 BAM 10.05

-5.21%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$295 BAM 515

-7.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$3,543 BAM 6,181

130.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$83.7 BAM 146

-40.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$36.46 BAM 63.6

-31.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$104 BAM 182

-26.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$141 BAM 247

-58.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$461 BAM 804

9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$307 BAM 536

0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$700 BAM 1,222

50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$477 BAM 832

29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,924 BAM 5,102

-0.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$1,867 BAM 3,258

-0.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$893 BAM 1,559

-61.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.44

62.16%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Banja Luka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Banja Luka

$307 25.6% 0.7% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Banja Luka

$243 20.3% 15.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Banja Luka

$212 17.7% 29.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Banja Luka

$165 13.7% 73.9% $70

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Banja Luka

$167 14% 89.4% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Banja Luka

$49 4.1% 12.3% $5.4

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Banja Luka

$57 4.7% 269% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Cebu versus $461 in Banja Luka. 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 162% higher in Banja Luka, 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 $23.00 in Cebu versus $51.0 in Banja Luka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $243 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

10:48 10:48 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

138,963

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Banja Luka 10,490 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Banja Luka

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 Banja Luka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Banja Luka is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,401 per month in Cebu and $1,827 in Banja Luka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 15% more in Banja Luka, 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 $23.00 in Cebu and $51.0 in Banja Luka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $934, than in Banja Luka at $1,218. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Banja Luka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cebu – 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 Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Banja Luka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.