Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ben Arous

For one person, living is cheaper in Ben Arous: $698 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Ben Arous
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ben Arous

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $698 in Ben Arous, rent included.

  • Cebu $918
  • Ben Arous $698

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $1,098 in Ben Arous, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Ben Arous $1,098

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,497 in Ben Arous, rent included.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Ben Arous $1,497

Cebu costs about 31% more than Ben Arous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cebu and Ben Arous are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Ben Arous 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$5.31 TND 15.90
-41.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$19.81 TND 59.3
22.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$5.06 TND 15.14
-22.53%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$1.16 TND 3.48
116.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.65 TND 1.95
144.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.27 TND 0.81
96.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.65 TND 4.95
7.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.04 TND 6.12
6.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.52 TND 1.54
269.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.10 TND 0.29
1260.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.70 TND 5.08
-40.59%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.48 TND 4.43
37.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$10.27 TND 30.76
-3.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$5.91 TND 17.70
-25.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$17.19 TND 51.5
-55.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$1.67 TND 5.01
97.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$4.47 TND 13.38
-68.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$0.95 TND 2.84
145.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$0.80 TND 2.41
87.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.90 TND 2.69
162.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.66 TND 1.97
187.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.52 TND 1.56
128.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.31 TND 0.93
103.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$3.49 TND 10.46
-14.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$6.62 TND 19.82
-8.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.00 TND 2.99
23.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.23 TND 3.68
42.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.38 TND 1.14
-34.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$13.56 TND 40.61
-6.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$0.31 TND 0.93
148.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.31 TND 0.92
-25.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$1.75 TND 5.23
154.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$0.86 TND 2.58
52.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$39.9K TND 119.6K
-46.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$23.0K TND 69.0K
-16.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$53.9 TND 162
122.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$9.87 TND 29.56
41.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$20.83 TND 62.4
32.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$32.08 TND 96.1
0.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$16.52 TND 49.46
-59.75%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$5.11 TND 15.29
10.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$61.0 TND 183
351.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$1,947 TND 5,830
306.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$43.31 TND 130
13.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$60.2 TND 180
-58.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$85.8 TND 257
-10.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$46.95 TND 141
21.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$209 TND 626
138.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$156 TND 467
97.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$386 TND 1,155
179.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$267 TND 799
130.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$933 TND 2,795
209.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$415 TND 1,243
361.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Ben Arous
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$247 TND 739
40.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
10.5
-31.43%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Ben Arous
$156 49.5% $153
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Ben Arous
$204 0.8% $1.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Ben Arous
$85 47.7% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Ben Arous
$106 13.2% $12
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Ben Arous
$88 0.7% $0.7
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Ben Arous
$42 3% $1.3
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Ben Arous
$17 8.7% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $209 in Ben Arous. 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 40% 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 $20.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $204 – making Ben Arous the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇹🇳 Ben Arous
🕒 Local time
07:39 7:39 AM
00:39 12:39 AM
7 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
88,322
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Ben Arous 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Ben Arous

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 Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cebu and in Ben Arous compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $698 in Ben Arous – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Cebu compared to Ben Arous?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $1,047 in Ben Arous. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cebu and Ben Arous?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ben Arous, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $20.00 in Ben Arous. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cebu or Ben Arous?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $698 in Ben Arous. That's a gap of about 31%.
How far does $1,200 go in Cebu compared to Ben Arous?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $698 in Ben Arous, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Cebu and Ben Arous?
It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $698 in Ben Arous to $918 in Cebu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cebu or Ben Arous safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Cebu and Ben Arous?
If budget matters most, go with Ben Arous. 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.

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