Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Botosani

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Botosani: $918 and $895 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Botosani
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Botosani Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Botosani

🇷🇴 Romania

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Botosani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $895 in Botosani.

Cebu $918
Botosani $895

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,325 in Botosani.

Cebu $1,409
Botosani $1,325

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,755 in Botosani.

Cebu $1,900
Botosani $1,755

Living in Cebu is roughly 3% more expensive than in Botosani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Botosani 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$9.09 RON 42.99

-66.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$28.43 RON 135

-14.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.48 RON 35.40

-47.59%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.23 RON 10.56

12.56%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.40 RON 6.62

13.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.17 RON 5.54

-54.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.89 RON 8.96

-5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.25 RON 10.63

-3.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.39 RON 6.58

38.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.08 RON 5.10

25.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.45 RON 6.85

-30.34%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.80 RON 13.27

-27.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$6.86 RON 32.45

43.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.86 RON 27.74

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.21 RON 43.58

-17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.93 RON 4.40

254.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.25 RON 5.92

11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.39 RON 6.59

67.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.84 RON 8.73

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.71 RON 3.34

232.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.54 RON 2.55

251.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.87 RON 4.11

36.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.70 RON 3.31

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.02 RON 28.47

-50.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$6.51 RON 30.79

-7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.03 RON 4.87

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.62 RON 7.65

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.72 RON 3.39

-65.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$29.18 RON 138

-56.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.75 RON 3.57

2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.71 RON 3.34

-67.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$7.51 RON 35.52

-40.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.75 RON 8.28

-25.14%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$26.2K RON 124.1K

-19.03%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.1K RON 123.3K

-26.53%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$98.4 RON 465

22.21%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$7.35 RON 34.78

90.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$8.24 RON 39.00

234.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$31.99 RON 151

1.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$22.82 RON 108

-70.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.34 RON 25.25

5.81%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$315 RON 1,492

-12.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$45.55 RON 215

8.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$29.29 RON 139

-13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$62.2 RON 294

23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$66.4 RON 314

-13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$388 RON 1,836

28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$282 RON 1,332

9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$536 RON 2,538

100.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$387 RON 1,831

59.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,364 RON 6,453

111.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,012 RON 4,789

89.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$964 RON 4,562

-64.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.57

9.59%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Botosani: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Botosani

$282 31.5% 8.8% $27

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Botosani

$183 20.4% 11.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Botosani

$114 12.7% 29.5% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Botosani

$92 10.2% 2.6% $2.4

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Botosani

$146 16.3% 65.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Botosani

$43 4.8% 2.2% $0.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Botosani

$36 4.1% 133% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $388 in Botosani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Botosani pays 179% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $28.00 in Botosani. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $183, with Botosani cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Botosani

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

106,847

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Botosani 9,700 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Botosani

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 Botosani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu and Botosani differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $895 including rent). Botosani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 179% lower in Botosani. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $388 in Botosani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $315 in Botosani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Botosani gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Botosani are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Botosani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.