Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and El Gouna

For one person, living is cheaper in El Gouna: $457 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
El Gouna
🇪🇬 Egypt
$457
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in El Gouna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $457 in El Gouna.

  • Cebu $934
  • El Gouna $457

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $730 in El Gouna.

  • Cebu $1,415
  • El Gouna $730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,002 in El Gouna.

  • Cebu $1,896
  • El Gouna $1,002

Living in Cebu is roughly 104% more expensive than in El Gouna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, El Gouna 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ₱190
$3.59 E£189
-15.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48 ₱1,473
$15.95 E£839
47.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.09 ₱256
$4.64 E£244
-11.85%
Cappuccino
$2.52 ₱158
$1.49 E£78.4
69.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱96.9
$0.29 E£15.07
431.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.98
$0.10 E£5.25
390.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.79 ₱112
$1.21 E£63.6
47.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₱142
$2.91 E£153
-22.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱122
$0.87 E£45.61
124.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ₱89.7
$0.59 E£30.86
142.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ₱63.8
$0.71 E£37.11
43.66%
Eggs
$2.06 ₱129
$1.39 E£72.9
48.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 ₱615
$3.37 E£177
191.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.61 ₱289
$4.23 E£222
8.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.70 ₱483
$8.53 E£448
-9.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱207
$1.47 E£77.2
125.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ₱90.9
$0.57 E£30.14
154.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$0.43 E£22.47
448.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ₱96.4
$0.40 E£20.93
285.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$0.37 E£19.56
537.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 ₱125
$0.41 E£21.43
385.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ₱72.1
$0.24 E£12.66
379.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.15
$0.21 E£11.23
219.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱188
$1.96 E£103
53.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱398
$6.48 E£341
-2.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₱81.9
$1.26 E£66.1
3.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱108
$1.88 E£98.6
-7.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.78
$0.17 E£8.98
47.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.65 ₱793
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.32
$0.39 E£20.46
89.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.11
$0.29 E£15.24
-27.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.33 ₱271
$2.00 E£105
116.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₱83.5
$0.33 E£17.57
303.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₱1.4M
$35.9K E£1.9M
-39.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$32.7K E£1.7M
-40.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ₱7,563
$11.82 E£622
920.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45 ₱907
$6.88 E£362
110.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29 ₱1,774
$11.01 E£579
156.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.68 ₱2,050
$20.42 E£1,074
60.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39 ₱401
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.46 ₱342
$2.98 E£157
83.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 ₱17.1K
$89.3 E£4,695
206.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,156 ₱511.5K
$1,820 E£95.7K
348.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57 ₱3,109
$27.68 E£1,456
79.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87 ₱1,560
$44.99 E£2,367
-44.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,804
$109 E£5,707
-29.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3 ₱3,717
$49.98 E£2,629
18.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 ₱31.7K
$190 E£9,998
166.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$100 E£5,286
207.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 ₱66.0K
$271 E£14.3K
287.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$619 ₱38.8K
$153 E£8,056
304.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,915 ₱182.9K
$795 E£41.8K
266.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,867 ₱117.1K
$488 E£25.6K
282.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
El Gouna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 ₱21.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
16.67
-56.81%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
El Gouna
$100 67.5% $209
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
El Gouna
$123 41.7% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
El Gouna
$30 81.8% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95
El Gouna
$104 9.9% $9.4
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
El Gouna
$74 16.3% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
El Gouna
$26 39.5% $17
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
El Gouna
$2.5 * 83.7% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $190 in El Gouna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $16.00 in El Gouna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $123 per month, with El Gouna cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇪🇬 El Gouna
🕒 Local time
15:43 3:43 PM
10:43 10:43 AM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
15,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.29 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 52.6 EGP (100 EGP = 1.9 USD). 1 EUR = 58.95 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu El Gouna 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • El Gouna

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 El Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Gouna cheaper than Cebu?
El Gouna is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $686 in El Gouna 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.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and El Gouna?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $190 in El Gouna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in El Gouna?
Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in El Gouna?
All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $457 in El Gouna – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or El Gouna?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though El Gouna gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or El Gouna more family-friendly?
For families, El Gouna 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or El Gouna?
Safety-wise, Cebu and El Gouna are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find El Gouna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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