Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $435 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Chingola

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $435 in Chingola.

Cebu $934
Chingola $435

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $734 in Chingola.

Cebu $1,415
Chingola $734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,034 in Chingola.

Cebu $1,896
Chingola $1,034

Living in Cebu is roughly 115% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Chingola 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$14.93 ZMW 296

-79.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$24.97 ZMW 495

-5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.53 ZMW 10.57

190.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.34 ZMW 6.73

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$0.59 ZMW 11.70

203.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.26 ZMW 24.90

79.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.80 ZMW 35.71

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.17 ZMW 23.16

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.55 ZMW 50.6

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.86 ZMW 36.97

10.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$5.22 ZMW 103

-11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$4.60 ZMW 91.2

67.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.05 ZMW 40.59

61.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.99 ZMW 39.38

-27.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.01 ZMW 39.91

17.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.08 ZMW 41.23

-25.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.01 ZMW 59.7

-21.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.48 ZMW 29.35

34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.90 ZMW 17.80

-25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$1.55 ZMW 30.67

93.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$5.11 ZMW 101

24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$0.60 ZMW 11.85

118.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$0.79 ZMW 15.69

118.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.63 ZMW 12.53

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$10.21 ZMW 203

-57.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.35 ZMW 26.71

-1.48%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,563

$50.0 ZMW 992

141.02%

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

$14.45 ₱907

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$10.28 ZMW 204

217.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$20.68 ZMW 410

139.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$12.65 ZMW 251

96.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$50.5 ZMW 1,001

51.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$75.1 ZMW 1,488

-21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$15.3K ZMW 302.9K

-87.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$110 ZMW 2,180

210.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 210% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Chingola. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $165, with Chingola cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

210,073

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.22 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Chingola 10,900 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Chingola

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 Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 210% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Chingola gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Chingola 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 Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.