Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Cricova

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,022 in Cricova, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Cricova
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Cricova Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Cricova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Cricova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,022 in Cricova.

Cebu $918
Cricova $1,022

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,858 in Cricova.

Cebu $1,409
Cricova $1,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,693 in Cricova.

Cebu $1,900
Cricova $2,693

Living in Cebu costs roughly 10% less than in Cricova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Cricova 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$8.25 MDL 146

-62.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$27.53 MDL 489

-12.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$10.30 MDL 183

-61.94%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.08 MDL 19.20

132.41%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.05 MDL 18.59

51.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.68 MDL 12.14

-22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.00 MDL 35.55

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.21 MDL 39.25

-1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.39 MDL 42.52

-19.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.46 MDL 8.18

195.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.09 MDL 19.38

-7.34%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.25 MDL 22.22

62.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$6.90 MDL 123

42.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.59 MDL 81.5

-4.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.35 MDL 219

-38.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.08 MDL 19.14

205.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.86 MDL 15.21

61.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.03 MDL 18.33

126.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.09 MDL 19.29

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.76 MDL 13.44

210.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.09 MDL 19.36

74.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.08 MDL 19.24

10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.09 MDL 19.37

-42.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.31 MDL 58.8

-9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.45 MDL 79.1

35.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.58 MDL 45.88

-52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$4.28 MDL 75.9

-59.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.53 MDL 9.48

-52.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$22.39 MDL 398

-43.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.10 MDL 19.57

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.26 MDL 4.63

-11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$6.53 MDL 116

-31.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.30 MDL 23.12

0.77%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.2K MDL 517.9K

-27.15%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$23.8K MDL 422.4K

-19.51%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$235 MDL 4,176

-48.87%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$7.70 MDL 137

81.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$11.02 MDL 196

149.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$56.5 MDL 1,003

-42.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$11.20 MDL 199

-40.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.42 MDL 132

-23.85%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$111 MDL 1,972

147.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,220 MDL 92.7K

51.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$56.2 MDL 998

-12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$27.60 MDL 490

-8.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$82.5 MDL 1,464

-6.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$114 MDL 2,021

-49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$884 MDL 15.7K

-43.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$222 MDL 3,943

39.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,373 MDL 24.4K

-21.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,108 MDL 19.7K

-44.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,775 MDL 49.3K

3.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,943 MDL 34.5K

-1.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$562 MDL 9,989

-38.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.86%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cricova: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Cricova

$222 21.7% 28.1% $87

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Cricova

$191 18.7% 7.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Cricova

$254 24.8% 56.9% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Cricova

$126 12.3% 34.2% $32

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Cricova

$131 12.8% 48.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Cricova

$71 7% 63.6% $28

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Cricova

$27 2.6% 73% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $884 in Cricova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cricova pays 63% 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $28.00 in Cricova. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $191, with Cricova cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇩 Cricova

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

08:47 8:47 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

10,642

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Cricova 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Cricova

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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Cricova. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $884 in Cricova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,022 in Cricova – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 77% less than in Cricova. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,022 in Cricova, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Cricova. 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 Cricova, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Cricova 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 11% less than in Cricova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.