Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bushehr

For one person, living is cheaper in Bushehr: $518 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Bushehr
Learn more

Bushehr Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Bushehr

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bushehr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $518 in Bushehr.

Cebu $934
Bushehr $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $805 in Bushehr.

Cebu $1,423
Bushehr $805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,091 in Bushehr.

Cebu $1,913
Bushehr $1,091

Living in Cebu is roughly 80% more expensive than in Bushehr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Bushehr 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$4.53 $4.53

-16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$12.80 $12.80

82.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$4.10 $4.10

-3.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 $1.02

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$1.22 $1.22

108.20%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.62 $0.62

153.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$1.03 $1.03

-54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$0.51 $0.51

272.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$0.29 $0.29

368.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$1.81 $1.81

-48.07%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$0.99 $0.99

101.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$1.46 $1.46

564.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$2.94 $2.94

46.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$9.89 $9.89

-24.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$0.57 $0.57

480.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.46 $1.46

-6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$0.94 $0.94

148.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$0.52 $0.52

186.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$0.48 $0.48

379.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$0.29 $0.29

544.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$0.51 $0.51

115.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.20 $0.20

215.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 $0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$3.08 $3.08

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.13 $0.13

69.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$9.67 $9.67

27.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.38 $0.38

94.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.31 $0.31

-29.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$3.53 $3.53

21.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$0.09 $0.09

1355.56%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$60.0K $60.0K

-65.39%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$48.4K $48.4K

-60.64%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$20.18 $20.18

486.77%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$1.59 $1.59

891.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$3.97 $3.97

613.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$19.16 $19.16

71.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$13.66 $13.66

-52.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$1.94 $1.94

180.93%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$50.9 $50.9

441.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$608 $608

1182.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$22.67 $22.67

112.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$18.74 $18.74

30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$96.2 $96.2

-21.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$55.5 $55.5

4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$295 $295

61.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$208 $208

54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$327 $327

194.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$353 $353

77.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$1,143 $1,143

298.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$531 $531

470.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$282 $282

18.13%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Bushehr: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Bushehr

$208 40.2% 35.3% $114

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Bushehr

$92 17.8% 54.6% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Bushehr

$26 5% 84.2% $137

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Bushehr

$70 13.5% 25.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Bushehr

$87 16.8% 6.2% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Bushehr

$23 4.5% 47.5% $21

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Bushehr

$12 2.3% 19.3% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $295 in Bushehr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $13 in Bushehr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $92 per month, with Bushehr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Bushehr

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

223,504

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Bushehr 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bushehr

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 Bushehr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bushehr wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Cebu. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bushehr the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Cebu versus $295 in Bushehr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bushehr runs roughly 22% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $276 in Cebu versus $51 in Bushehr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $518 in Bushehr versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Bushehr but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Bushehr the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Bushehr are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bushehr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.