For one person, living is cheaper in Guelma: $523 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Guelma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $523 in Guelma.
Cebu $918
Guelma $523
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $849 in Guelma.
Cebu $1,409
Guelma $849
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,176 in Guelma.
Cebu $1,900
Guelma $1,176
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 76% more expensive than in Guelma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Guelma61% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$3.15DZD 421
-1.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$16.77DZD 2,245
44.42%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$3.86DZD 517
1.55%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$0.69DZD 91.7
263.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.59DZD 79.1
169.49%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.24DZD 31.92
120.83%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.57DZD 210
13.38%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$2.18DZD 292
-0.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$0.87DZD 117
120.69%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$0.15DZD 19.62
806.67%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$1.15DZD 154
-12.17%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$1.19DZD 159
70.59%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$8.00DZD 1,071
23.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$4.01DZD 536
9.48%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$14.59DZD 1,953
-47.91%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$2.02DZD 270
63.37%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.69DZD 360
-48.33%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$1.07DZD 143
117.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$0.96DZD 129
56.25%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$0.63DZD 84.0
274.60%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.45DZD 60.4
322.22%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$0.77DZD 103
54.55%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.25DZD 33.57
152.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$2.59DZD 347
15.83%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$6.52DZD 873
-7.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.08DZD 145
13.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$1.85DZD 248
-5.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.24DZD 32.10
4.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$5.76DZD 771
119.44%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$0.57DZD 75.9
35.09%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$0.45DZD 60.1
-48.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$5.31DZD 711
-16.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$0.36DZD 47.73
263.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$31.9KDZD 4.3M
-33.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$34.3KDZD 4.6M
-44.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$36.43DZD 4,877
230.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$9.29DZD 1,244
50.70%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$12.07DZD 1,616
128.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$22.53DZD 3,016
43.50%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$4.39DZD 587
28.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$337DZD 45.2K
-18.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$4,258DZD 570.0K
85.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$31.79DZD 4,256
55.17%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$34.13DZD 4,569
-26.05%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$69.6DZD 9,315
10.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$80.8DZD 10.8K
-29.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$142DZD 19.0K
251.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$92.4DZD 12.4K
234.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$267DZD 35.8K
303.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$197DZD 26.3K
212.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$959DZD 128.4K
200.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$1,053DZD 140.9K
82.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Guelma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$302DZD 40.4K
14.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
5.3
35.85%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Guelma: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Guelma
$92 17.7% ↓ 70.1%$216
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Guelma
$174 33.3% ↓ 15.6%$32
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Guelma
$58 11.1% ↓ 64.3%$104
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Guelma
$97 18.6% ↑ 3.6%$3.4
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Guelma
$60 11.6% ↓ 31.5%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Guelma
$31 6% ↓ 28.2%$12
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Guelma
$9.5 1.8% ↓ 38.8%$6
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Guelma
$197 16.7% ↓ 68%$419
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Guelma
$412 35% ↓ 14.7%$71
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Guelma
$67 5.7% ↓ 61.8%$109
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Guelma
$216 18.4% ↑ 3.6%$7.5
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Guelma
$202 17.2% ↓ 30.7%$90
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Guelma
$63 * 5.3% ↓ 33.3%$31
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Guelma
$20 1.7% ↓ 38.3%$12
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 $500 in Cebu and $142 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 15% 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 $17.00 in Guelma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $174 per month, with Guelma cheaper across the board.
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 Guelma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guelma cheaper than Cebu?
Guelma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Guelma?
Average pay runs 15% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Guelma?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $142 in Guelma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Guelma?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $523 in Guelma – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Guelma runs roughly 119% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Guelma?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Guelma gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Guelma more family-friendly?
For families, Guelma 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 Guelma?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Guelma 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 Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.