Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Birjand

For one person, living is cheaper in Birjand: $557 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Birjand
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Birjand Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Birjand

🇮🇷 Iran

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Birjand

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $557 in Birjand, rent included.

Cebu $918
Birjand $557

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $878 in Birjand, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Birjand $878

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,198 in Birjand, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Birjand $1,198

Cebu costs about 65% more than Birjand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Birjand are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Birjand 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$3.40 $3.40

-9.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$19.37 $19.37

25.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.85 $3.85

1.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 $0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.09 $1.09

130.28%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.44 $0.44

261.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$1.13 $1.13

-53.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.61 $0.61

214.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.48 $0.48

183.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.99 $1.99

-49.25%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.17 $1.17

73.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.90 $4.90

101.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.18 $3.18

38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.08 $9.08

-16.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.09 $1.09

202.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.78 $1.78

-21.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.77 $0.77

202.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.60 $0.60

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.52 $0.52

353.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.55 $0.55

245.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.49 $0.49

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.21 $0.21

200.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.35 $2.35

27.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

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 ₱15.87

$0.16 $0.16

56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$10.67 $10.67

18.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$0.38 $0.38

102.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$0.29 $0.29

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.24 $2.24

99.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.08 $0.08

1537.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$48.0K $48.0K

-55.71%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$47.9K $47.9K

-60.06%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$13.94 $13.94

762.48%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.47 $1.47

852.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$3.50 $3.50

686.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$19.45 $19.45

66.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$13.79 $13.79

-51.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$2.08 $2.08

171.63%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$119 $119

131.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$2,693 $2,693

194.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$23.19 $23.19

112.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$29.44 $29.44

-14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$98.0 $98.0

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$68.1 $68.1

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$258 $258

93.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$234 $234

31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$726 $726

48.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$387 $387

59.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$1,006 $1,006

186.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$526 $526

264.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

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 Birjand: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Birjand

$234 42.1% 24.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Birjand

$111 19.9% 46.2% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Birjand

$19 3.4% 88.3% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Birjand

$98 17.7% 4.8% $4.5

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Birjand

$58 10.4% 34.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Birjand

$24 4.2% 45.9% $20

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Birjand

$13 2.4% 15.4% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $258 in Birjand. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $19.00 in Birjand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $111 – making Birjand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Birjand

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

203,636

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Birjand 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Birjand

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 Birjand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $918 in Cebu, $557 in Birjand – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $836 in Birjand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 86% 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 $19.00 in Birjand. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $557 in Birjand, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cebu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $557 in Birjand to $918 in Cebu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Birjand. 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.