Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Hama

For one person, living is cheaper in Hama: $557 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Hama
Learn more

Hama Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Hama

🇸🇾 Syria

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Hama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $557 in Hama.

Cebu $915
Hama $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $868 in Hama.

Cebu $1,418
Hama $868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,180 in Hama.

Cebu $1,921
Hama $1,180

Living in Cebu is roughly 64% more expensive than in Hama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Hama 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$7.62 SYP 926

-59.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$30.44 SYP 3,699

-21.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.70 SYP 329

47.78%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.16 SYP 141

115.52%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$2.26 SYP 275

-31.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.87 SYP 106

-42.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.95 SYP 237

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.79 SYP 218

21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.06 SYP 129

88.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.42 SYP 50.8

226.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.57 SYP 191

-34.39%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.64 SYP 199

23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$3.84 SYP 467

165.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$5.57 SYP 677

-20.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$13.90 SYP 1,689

-44.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.08 SYP 131

206.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.42 SYP 173

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.11 SYP 135

109.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.05 SYP 128

41.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.74 SYP 89.5

216.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.79 SYP 96.3

145.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.40 SYP 48.65

190.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.61 SYP 74.6

11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.74 SYP 333

9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$6.14 SYP 746

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.10 SYP 134

11.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.91 SYP 353

-40.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.20 SYP 23.72

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$1.02 SYP 123

-22.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.49 SYP 181

-85.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$7.89 SYP 959

-42.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$3.60 SYP 437

-63.33%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

40.34%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

-0.26%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$143 SYP 17.3K

-16.94%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$9.32 SYP 1,132

52.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$23.15 SYP 2,814

18.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.39 SYP 655

0.19%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$67.9 SYP 8,249

306.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$1,747 SYP 212.2K

350.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$28.42 SYP 3,454

73.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$39.97 SYP 4,857

-38.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$59.9 SYP 7,277

27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$58.8 SYP 7,143

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Hama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Hama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Hama

$169 30.3% 19.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Hama

$175 31.5% 9.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Hama

$84 15.1% 10.7% $10

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Hama

$109 19.6% 24% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Hama

$11 * 1.9% 75% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Hama

$9.2 * 1.7% 39.1% $5.9

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 $30.00 in Hama. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $169, with Hama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇾 Hama

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

312,994

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Hama 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Hama

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 Hama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hama is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $835 in Hama 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 24% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $557 in Hama – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Hama gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Hama 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 Hama 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 Hama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.