Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Hikkaduwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
Learn more

Hikkaduwa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Hikkaduwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $509 in Hikkaduwa.

Cebu $918
Hikkaduwa $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $826 in Hikkaduwa.

Cebu $1,409
Hikkaduwa $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,144 in Hikkaduwa.

Cebu $1,900
Hikkaduwa $1,144

Living in Cebu is roughly 80% more expensive than in Hikkaduwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Hikkaduwa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$4.45 LKR 1,475

-30.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,526

$24.59 LKR 8,144

-1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.57 LKR 2,507

-48.22%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.50 LKR 827

0.40%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.72 LKR 238

120.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.47

$0.27 LKR 90.1

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.16 LKR 716

-17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.01 LKR 998

-27.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.57 LKR 520

22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.53 LKR 175

156.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$0.80 LKR 266

26.25%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.60 LKR 530

26.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱622

$14.00 LKR 4,636

-29.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.88 LKR 1,618

-10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.26 LKR 2,405

4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$6.84 LKR 2,265

-51.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.9

$0.85 LKR 281

63.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$4.46 LKR 1,478

-47.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.4

$1.23 LKR 406

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.02 LKR 339

131.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.82 LKR 270

131.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱75.0

$0.92 LKR 306

29.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.75

$0.44 LKR 145

43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$10.32 LKR 3,418

-70.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$13.70 LKR 4,536

-55.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.89 LKR 625

-34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.01 LKR 998

-41.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.66

$0.38 LKR 126

102.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$0.37 LKR 123

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$0.88 LKR 293

406.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.9

$1.33 LKR 441

-1.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

-43.73%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

-53.19%

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

$120 ₱7,577

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

119.32%

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

$14.00 ₱883

$4.14 LKR 1,371

238.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,736

$21.01 LKR 6,959

31.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,037

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.45 LKR 1,474

26.97%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

631.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱499.0K

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

545.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,109

$18.35 LKR 6,077

168.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,591

$16.80 LKR 5,564

50.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,850

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,605

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hikkaduwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Hikkaduwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9% 15.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7% 50.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8% 25.4% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4% 23.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8% 79.6% $35

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4% 85.6% $13

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 $25.00 in Hikkaduwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $239 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

16:35 4:35 PM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

101,342

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 63.02 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Hikkaduwa 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Hikkaduwa

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 Hikkaduwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $763 in Hikkaduwa 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.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $509 in Hikkaduwa – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Hikkaduwa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.