Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,187 in Craiova, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
Learn more

Craiova Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Craiova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,187 in Craiova.

Cebu $934
Craiova $1,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,763 in Craiova.

Cebu $1,415
Craiova $1,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,338 in Craiova.

Cebu $1,896
Craiova $2,338

Living in Cebu costs roughly 21% less than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Craiova 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$7.53 RON 35.62

-59.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$41.41 RON 196

-43.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$7.20 RON 34.05

-43.19%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.62 RON 12.40

-3.82%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$2.21 RON 10.44

-30.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.80 RON 8.51

-72.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.36 RON 11.14

-24.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.46 RON 16.35

-34.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.32 RON 6.26

47.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.87 RON 4.09

64.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.38 RON 6.54

-26.09%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.41 RON 16.12

-39.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$7.11 RON 33.61

37.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.46 RON 30.57

-28.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$11.35 RON 53.7

-32.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.04 RON 4.90

218.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.44 RON 6.82

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.46 RON 6.90

61.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.83 RON 8.66

-15.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.77 RON 3.64

206.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.84 RON 4.00

136.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.69 RON 3.24

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.75 RON 3.56

-10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$6.36 RON 30.08

-52.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$6.27 RON 29.66

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.20 RON 5.66

9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.47 RON 6.96

17.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.82 RON 3.87

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$25.32 RON 120

-50.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.64 RON 3.04

15.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.61 RON 2.89

-65.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$6.40 RON 30.25

-32.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.92 RON 9.09

-30.73%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$28.0K RON 132.6K

-22.34%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$26.2K RON 124.0K

-26.02%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$214 RON 1,011

-43.60%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$9.61 RON 45.43

50.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$11.51 RON 54.5

145.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$44.51 RON 211

-26.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$21.43 RON 101

-70.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$7.46 RON 35.30

-26.81%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$421 RON 1,992

-35.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$8,039 RON 38.0K

1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$63.1 RON 298

-21.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$50.9 RON 241

-51.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$82.9 RON 392

-7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$102 RON 481

-41.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$503 RON 2,379

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$391 RON 1,851

-20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$874 RON 4,132

20.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$602 RON 2,845

2.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,655 RON 12.6K

9.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$2,024 RON 9,575

-7.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$941 RON 4,449

-63.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.84

5.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Craiova

$391 32.7% 26.5% $82

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Craiova

$195 16.3% 7.4% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Craiova

$235 19.7% 43.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Craiova

$134 11.2% 42% $40

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Craiova

$148 12.4% 67.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Craiova

$59 5% 36.3% $16

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Craiova

$32 2.7% 109% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $503 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 176% 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 $41.00 in Craiova. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $195, with Craiova cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

08:45 8:45 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

269,506

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Craiova 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Craiova

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 176% lower in Craiova. 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 $503 in Craiova. 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 $1,187 in Craiova – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 100% less than in Craiova. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,187 in Craiova, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Craiova. 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 Craiova, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Craiova 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 27% less than in Craiova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.