Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Duma

For one person, living is cheaper in Duma: $643 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Duma
Learn more

Duma Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Duma

🇸🇾 Syria

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Duma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $643 in Duma.

Cebu $918
Duma $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,021 in Duma.

Cebu $1,409
Duma $1,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,399 in Duma.

Cebu $1,900
Duma $1,399

Living in Cebu is roughly 43% more expensive than in Duma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$10.05 SYP 1,221

-69.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$43.34 SYP 5,267

-44.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.16 SYP 870

-45.25%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.74 SYP 454

-32.89%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.30 SYP 279

-30.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.83 SYP 101

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.04 SYP 248

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.10 SYP 499

-47.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.10 SYP 133

74.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.39 SYP 47.33

248.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.53 SYP 186

-33.99%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.63 SYP 198

24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.99 SYP 485

147.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.73 SYP 697

-23.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$13.60 SYP 1,653

-44.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.04 SYP 126

217.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.37 SYP 167

1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.13 SYP 138

106.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.01 SYP 123

48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.80 SYP 96.9

195.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.75 SYP 91.6

153.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.40 SYP 48.55

197.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.62 SYP 75.5

1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.80 SYP 341

7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$5.80 SYP 704

3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.09 SYP 133

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.85 SYP 346

-38.60%

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

$0.99 SYP 120

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.54 SYP 187

-85.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$7.87 SYP 956

-43.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$3.62 SYP 440

-63.81%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

43.38%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

1.76%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$138 SYP 16.8K

-12.78%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$9.86 SYP 1,198

41.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$46.47 SYP 5,648

-40.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.47 SYP 665

3.29%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$65.5 SYP 7,956

320.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,781 SYP 216.5K

344.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$28.15 SYP 3,421

75.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$40.78 SYP 4,955

-38.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$61.0 SYP 7,412

26.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$57.4 SYP 6,969

-0.26%

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

14.25

-49.47%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Duma: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Duma

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Duma

$168 26.1% 18.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Duma

$194 30.2% 20% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Duma

$84 13.1% 10.3% $9.7

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Duma

$178 27.6% 101% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Duma

$11 * 1.7% 74.9% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Duma

$8.7 * 1.4% 44.3% $6.9

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 $43.00 in Duma. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $168, with Duma cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇾 Duma

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

22:48 10:48 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

110,893

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Duma 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Duma

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 Duma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $965 in Duma 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 23% 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 $643 in Duma – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Duma 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 Duma 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 Duma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.