Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Binjai

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
Learn more

Binjai Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Binjai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $638 in Binjai.

Cebu $934
Binjai $638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,029 in Binjai.

Cebu $1,423
Binjai $1,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,421 in Binjai.

Cebu $1,913
Binjai $1,421

Living in Cebu is roughly 46% more expensive than in Binjai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Binjai 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

110.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$15.06 Rp 273.7K

54.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.81 Rp 51.1K

40.21%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$1.33 Rp 24.2K

90.98%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.48 Rp 8,725

227.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.20 Rp 3,646

135.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$2.49 Rp 45.2K

-28.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$3.12 Rp 56.7K

-28.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.04 Rp 18.9K

82.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

44.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

17.50%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

59.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$6.22 Rp 113.1K

55.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

37.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$7.48 Rp 136.0K

0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$1.77 Rp 32.2K

32.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

19.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.39 Rp 6,999

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.43 Rp 44.2K

17.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$21.59 Rp 392.4K

-71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$2.01 Rp 36.6K

-36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$3.20 Rp 58.1K

-46.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.21 Rp 3,857

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$10.00 Rp 181.7K

23.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.47 Rp 8,527

57.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.36 Rp 6,525

-38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$3.18 Rp 57.7K

34.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

39.36%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.3K Rp 369.8M

2.06%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$30.1K Rp 547.2M

-36.73%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

72.41%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$3.91 Rp 71.0K

303.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$18.11 Rp 329.1K

56.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$20.19 Rp 367.0K

63.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$8.73 Rp 158.7K

-25.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$2.88 Rp 52.4K

89.24%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$105 Rp 1.9M

163.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$8,060 Rp 146.5M

-3.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$42.93 Rp 780.3K

12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$27.03 Rp 491.3K

-9.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

-10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

-7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$204 Rp 3.7M

134.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$156 Rp 2.8M

105.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$495 Rp 9.0M

94.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$411 Rp 7.5M

52.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

277.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$752 Rp 13.7M

302.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.46

-23.89%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Binjai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Binjai

$156 24.5% 51.4% $166

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Binjai

$194 30.4% 4.9% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Binjai

$91 14.2% 44.2% $72

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Binjai

$60 9.4% 36% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Binjai

$98 15.3% 5.2% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Binjai

$26 4.1% 40.8% $18

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Binjai

$13 2.1% 12.9% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $204 in Binjai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $15 in Binjai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $194 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Binjai

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

05:24 5:24 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

267,901

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Binjai 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Binjai

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 Binjai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $956 in Binjai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Cebu versus $204 in Binjai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $638 in Binjai – Binjai is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 19% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.