Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Gjilan

For one person, living is cheaper in Gjilan: $774 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Gjilan
🇽🇰 Kosovo
$774
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Gjilan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $774 in Gjilan.

  • Cebu $934
  • Gjilan $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,140 in Gjilan.

  • Cebu $1,415
  • Gjilan $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,507 in Gjilan.

  • Cebu $1,896
  • Gjilan $1,507

Living in Cebu is roughly 21% more expensive than in Gjilan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Gjilan 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ₱190
$4.13 €3.69
-26.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48 ₱1,473
$22.81 €20.35
2.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.09 ₱256
$5.77 €5.15
-29.12%
Cappuccino
$2.52 ₱158
$1.36 €1.21
85.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱96.9
$1.09 €0.97
41.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.98
$0.88 €0.78
-44.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.79 ₱112
$1.66 €1.48
7.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₱142
$1.32 €1.18
71.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱122
$1.25 €1.11
56.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ₱89.7
$0.46 €0.41
210.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ₱63.8
$1.29 €1.15
-20.93%
Eggs
$2.06 ₱129
$1.86 €1.66
10.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 ₱615
$7.81 €6.97
25.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.61 ₱289
$6.67 €5.95
-30.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.70 ₱483
$12.67 €11.31
-39.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱207
$1.57 €1.40
110.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ₱90.9
$1.58 €1.41
-8.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$1.69 €1.51
39.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ₱96.4
$1.65 €1.47
-6.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$0.96 €0.85
145.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 ₱125
$0.86 €0.77
131.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ₱72.1
$0.84 €0.75
36.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.15
$0.49 €0.44
36.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱188
$3.41 €3.04
-12.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱398
$5.69 €5.07
11.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₱81.9
$1.00 €0.89
31.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱108
$1.26 €1.13
37.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.78
$0.58 €0.52
-56.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.65 ₱793
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.32
$2.19 €1.96
-66.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.11
$0.59 €0.52
-64.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.33 ₱271
$3.30 €2.95
31.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₱83.5
$1.43 €1.28
-6.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₱1.4M
$22.2K €19.8K
-2.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$25.6K €22.9K
-24.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ₱7,563
$107 €95.2
13.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45 ₱907
$11.27 €10.06
28.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29 ₱1,774
$23.50 €20.97
20.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.68 ₱2,050
$19.87 €17.73
64.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39 ₱401
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.46 ₱342
$4.57 €4.08
19.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 ₱17.1K
$166 €148
64.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,156 ₱511.5K
$1,466 €1,308
456.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57 ₱3,109
$42.41 €37.85
16.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87 ₱1,560
$31.57 €28.17
-21.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,804
$63.2 €56.4
21.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3 ₱3,717
$79.9 €71.3
-25.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 ₱31.7K
$278 €248
82.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$228 €204
35.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 ₱66.0K
$479 €428
119.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$619 ₱38.8K
$360 €321
71.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,915 ₱182.9K
$911 €813
220.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,867 ₱117.1K
$700 €624
166.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Gjilan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 ₱21.4K
$441 €394
-22.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
4.5
60.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gjilan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Gjilan
$228 26.3% $81
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Gjilan
$190 9.9% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
Gjilan
$141 13.4% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95
Gjilan
$98 3.2% $3
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Gjilan
$85 3.3% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Gjilan
$29 33.5% $15
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Gjilan
$7.5 * 51.7% $8

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 $278 in Gjilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gjilan pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $23.00 in Gjilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $190, with Gjilan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇽🇰 Gjilan
🕒 Local time
16:20 4:20 PM
10:20 10:20 AM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
54,239
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Gjilan 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Gjilan

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 Gjilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gjilan cheaper than Cebu?
Gjilan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Gjilan?
On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Gjilan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Gjilan?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $278 in Gjilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Gjilan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 Gjilan?
All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $774 in Gjilan – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Gjilan?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Gjilan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Gjilan more family-friendly?
For families, Gjilan 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 Gjilan?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Gjilan 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 Gjilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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