Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Constanta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,264 in Constanta, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Constanta
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,264
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Constanta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,264 in Constanta.

  • Cebu $934
  • Constanta $1,264

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,906 in Constanta.

  • Cebu $1,415
  • Constanta $1,906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,547 in Constanta.

  • Cebu $1,896
  • Constanta $2,547

Living in Cebu costs roughly 26% less than in Constanta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Constanta 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ₱190
$12.73 RON 60.2
-76.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48 ₱1,473
$63.7 RON 301
-63.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.09 ₱256
$7.48 RON 35.36
-45.32%
Cappuccino
$2.52 ₱158
$3.16 RON 14.96
-20.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱96.9
$1.78 RON 8.40
-13.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.98
$1.27 RON 6.01
-61.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.79 ₱112
$2.17 RON 10.28
-17.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₱142
$3.24 RON 15.34
-30.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱122
$1.65 RON 7.83
18.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ₱89.7
$1.22 RON 5.78
17.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ₱63.8
$1.69 RON 8.01
-39.64%
Eggs
$2.06 ₱129
$2.89 RON 13.68
-28.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 ₱615
$8.75 RON 41.38
12.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.61 ₱289
$5.50 RON 25.99
-16.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.70 ₱483
$9.01 RON 42.62
-14.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱207
$1.29 RON 6.11
156.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ₱90.9
$1.58 RON 7.48
-8.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$1.57 RON 7.42
50.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ₱96.4
$2.70 RON 12.75
-42.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$0.92 RON 4.34
156.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 ₱125
$0.95 RON 4.48
109.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ₱72.1
$0.99 RON 4.70
16.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.15
$0.88 RON 4.16
-23.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱188
$6.41 RON 30.31
-53.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱398
$6.47 RON 30.59
-1.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₱81.9
$1.05 RON 4.97
24.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱108
$1.70 RON 8.04
1.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.78
$0.61 RON 2.89
-59.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.65 ₱793
$16.98 RON 80.3
-25.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.32
$0.80 RON 3.78
-7.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.11
$0.80 RON 3.80
-73.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.33 ₱271
$7.39 RON 34.97
-41.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₱83.5
$1.94 RON 9.15
-31.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₱1.4M
$28.3K RON 133.8K
-23.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$24.4K RON 115.6K
-20.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ₱7,563
$167 RON 792
-27.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45 ₱907
$7.64 RON 36.14
89.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29 ₱1,774
$7.66 RON 36.24
269.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.68 ₱2,050
$54.3 RON 257
-39.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39 ₱401
$13.60 RON 64.3
-53.01%
Cinema Ticket
$5.46 ₱342
$7.01 RON 33.17
-22.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 ₱17.1K
$564 RON 2,667
-51.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,156 ₱511.5K
$7,583 RON 35.9K
7.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57 ₱3,109
$65.7 RON 311
-24.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87 ₱1,560
$45.90 RON 217
-45.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,804
$87.8 RON 415
-12.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3 ₱3,717
$87.3 RON 413
-32.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 ₱31.7K
$590 RON 2,788
-14.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$467 RON 2,209
-33.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 ₱66.0K
$1,067 RON 5,049
-1.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$619 ₱38.8K
$743 RON 3,514
-16.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,915 ₱182.9K
$2,522 RON 11.9K
15.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,867 ₱117.1K
$2,034 RON 9,622
-8.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Constanta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 ₱21.4K
$962 RON 4,548
-64.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
6.99
3.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Constanta: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Constanta
$467 51% $158
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Constanta
$204 2.9% $6.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
Constanta
$183 11.9% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95
Constanta
$129 36.3% $34
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Constanta
$192 117% $103
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Constanta
$68 56.8% $25
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Constanta
$24 57% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $590 in Constanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Constanta pays 182% 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 $64.0 in Constanta. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $204, with Constanta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇷🇴 Constanta
🕒 Local time
13:20 1:20 PM
08:20 8:20 AM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
283,872
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Constanta 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Constanta

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 Constanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Constanta cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Constanta?
On paper, salaries run 182% lower in Constanta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Constanta?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $590 in Constanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Constanta?
All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,264 in Constanta – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 34% less than in Constanta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Constanta?
At $934 in Cebu versus $1,264 in Constanta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Constanta. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Constanta more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Constanta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Constanta?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Constanta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Constanta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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