Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: $487 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $487 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.

Cebu $915
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $790 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.

Cebu $1,418
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,093 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.

Cebu $1,921
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia $1,093

Living in Cebu is roughly 88% more expensive than in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$1.49 LKR 494

104.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$25.02 LKR 8,286

-4.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$7.49 LKR 2,481

-46.73%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.54 LKR 840

-1.57%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.73 LKR 240

110.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.27 LKR 90.3

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.22 LKR 736

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.00 LKR 993

-27.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.62 LKR 537

23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.53 LKR 174

158.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.81 LKR 267

27.16%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.65 LKR 546

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$13.93 LKR 4,614

-26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.85 LKR 1,606

-8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.54 LKR 2,496

1.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$6.42 LKR 2,125

-48.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.87 LKR 288

67.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$4.37 LKR 1,448

-46.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.29 LKR 426

15.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.00 LKR 332

134.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.78 LKR 259

148.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.88 LKR 291

31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.45 LKR 149

51.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$10.38 LKR 3,439

-71.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$13.03 LKR 4,317

-52.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.89 LKR 626

-34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$3.00 LKR 994

-42.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.38 LKR 125

107.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.35 LKR 115

-37.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$0.90 LKR 297

404.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.38 LKR 457

-4.35%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$43.0K LKR 14.2M

-51.12%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

-52.07%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$58.3 LKR 19.3K

103.28%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$4.28 LKR 1,418

232.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$20.80 LKR 6,888

32.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$4.59 LKR 1,519

17.65%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$38.36 LKR 12.7K

619.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$1,206 LKR 399.5K

552.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$18.46 LKR 6,116

167.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$16.53 LKR 5,474

48.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$78.6 LKR 26.0K

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$42.38 LKR 14.0K

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$460 LKR 152.2K

133.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$215 LKR 71.4K

55.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$236 48.5% 12.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$83 17.1% 48% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$70 14.4% 25.5% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$86 17.7% 2.1% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$9.2 * 1.9% 78.7% $34

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

$2.1 * 0.4% 86% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 56% 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 $25.00 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $236 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

00:20 12:20 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

219,827

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $487 in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.