Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,275 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Chisinau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,275 in Chisinau.

Cebu $934
Chisinau $1,275

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,987 in Chisinau.

Cebu $1,415
Chisinau $1,987

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,699 in Chisinau.

Cebu $1,896
Chisinau $2,699

Living in Cebu costs roughly 27% less than in Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$11.27 MDL 200

-73.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$49.50 MDL 877

-52.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$8.46 MDL 150

-51.65%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.12 MDL 37.57

18.87%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.17 MDL 20.79

31.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.91 MDL 16.07

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.24 MDL 39.72

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.92 MDL 34.03

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.21 MDL 21.45

61.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.69 MDL 12.21

107.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.37 MDL 24.27

-25.55%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.81 MDL 49.87

-26.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$9.49 MDL 168

3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$5.02 MDL 88.9

-8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$8.75 MDL 155

-12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$0.97 MDL 17.28

241.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.92 MDL 34.11

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.08 MDL 36.86

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.25 MDL 39.84

-31.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.71 MDL 12.63

232.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.56 MDL 9.96

255.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.31 MDL 23.27

-12.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.88 MDL 15.54

-23.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.37 MDL 59.7

-10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$4.81 MDL 85.3

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.26 MDL 22.28

3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.87 MDL 33.11

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.37 MDL 6.61

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$13.68 MDL 243

-7.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$2.25 MDL 39.88

-67.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.33 MDL 5.81

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$5.07 MDL 89.8

-14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.70 MDL 30.18

-21.76%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$29.4K MDL 520.4K

-25.88%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$30.3K MDL 537.3K

-36.02%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$244 MDL 4,318

-50.51%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$9.64 MDL 171

49.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$10.72 MDL 190

163.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$41.23 MDL 731

-20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$20.17 MDL 358

-68.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$8.40 MDL 149

-35.00%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$428 MDL 7,578

-36.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$5,887 MDL 104.3K

38.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$80.8 MDL 1,432

-38.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$46.11 MDL 817

-46.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$115 MDL 2,046

-33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$114 MDL 2,018

-47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$678 MDL 12.0K

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$439 MDL 7,788

-29.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,255 MDL 22.2K

-16.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$829 MDL 14.7K

-25.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,614 MDL 46.3K

11.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$1,988 MDL 35.2K

-6.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$867 MDL 15.4K

-60.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.1

-20.88%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Chisinau

$439 33.9% 42% $130

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Chisinau

$190 14.7% 9.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Chisinau

$264 20.4% 61.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Chisinau

$160 12.4% 69.4% $66

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Chisinau

$164 12.7% 86% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Chisinau

$58 4.5% 33.1% $14

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 23.5% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $678 in Chisinau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chisinau pays 154% 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 $49.00 in Chisinau. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $190, with Chisinau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

11:23 11:23 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 MDL = 5.64 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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 = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17.72 MDL (100 MDL = 5.64 USD). 1 EUR = 19.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Chisinau 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Chisinau

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 154% lower in Chisinau. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $678 in Chisinau. 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 $1,275 in Chisinau – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 8% less than in Chisinau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,275 in Chisinau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Chisinau. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cebu and Chisinau 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Chisinau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.