Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Dubasari

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubasari: $646 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Dubasari
Learn more

Dubasari Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Dubasari

🇲🇩 Moldova

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Dubasari

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $646 in Dubasari.

Cebu $918
Dubasari $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $959 in Dubasari.

Cebu $1,409
Dubasari $959

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,272 in Dubasari.

Cebu $1,900
Dubasari $1,272

Living in Cebu is roughly 42% more expensive than in Dubasari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Dubasari 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$8.36 MDL 148

-63.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$29.57 MDL 525

-18.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$10.56 MDL 187

-62.88%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.68 MDL 29.84

49.40%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.09 MDL 19.40

45.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.64 MDL 11.37

-17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.93 MDL 34.35

-7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.22 MDL 39.45

-2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.21 MDL 21.55

58.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.46 MDL 8.23

195.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.60 MDL 28.40

-36.88%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.16 MDL 38.38

-6.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$6.74 MDL 120

46.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.71 MDL 83.6

-6.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.22 MDL 110

22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.03 MDL 18.22

220.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.20 MDL 39.09

-36.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.87 MDL 33.17

24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.30 MDL 40.92

-34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.77 MDL 13.71

206.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.48 MDL 8.53

295.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.46 MDL 8.22

158.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.58 MDL 10.29

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.45 MDL 61.3

-13.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.40 MDL 78.2

37.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.38 MDL 24.47

-10.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.93 MDL 34.30

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$2.85 MDL 50.6

-72.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.24 MDL 4.24

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.44 MDL 96.5

-18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.62 MDL 28.79

-19.14%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$33.1K MDL 587.9K

-35.82%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$24.6K MDL 436.8K

-22.16%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$225 MDL 4,001

-46.63%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$7.97 MDL 142

75.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$11.03 MDL 196

149.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$11.29 MDL 201

186.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.71 MDL 137

-26.72%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$110 MDL 1,952

150.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,271 MDL 93.6K

50.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$45.35 MDL 805

8.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$56.4 MDL 1,001

36.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$50.4 MDL 895

13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-10.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubasari: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Dubasari

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Dubasari

$163 25.3% 20.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Dubasari

$244 37.8% 51% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Dubasari

$68 * 10.6% 27.1% $25

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Dubasari

$140 21.6% 58.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Dubasari

$27 4.1% 38.8% $17

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Dubasari

$4 * 0.6% 74.1% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $30.00 in Dubasari. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $163, with Dubasari cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇩 Dubasari

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

08:50 8:50 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

23,254

💱 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 Dubasari 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Dubasari

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 Dubasari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubasari is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $970 in Dubasari to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $646 in Dubasari – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dubasari gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Dubasari 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 Dubasari 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 Dubasari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.