Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Iasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,251 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Iasi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,251 in Iasi.

Cebu $934
Iasi $1,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,834 in Iasi.

Cebu $1,415
Iasi $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,417 in Iasi.

Cebu $1,896
Iasi $2,417

Living in Cebu costs roughly 25% less than in Iasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Iasi 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$10.54 RON 50.2

-71.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$41.58 RON 198

-43.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$6.96 RON 33.17

-41.24%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.95 RON 14.07

-14.58%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$2.29 RON 10.89

-32.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$1.78 RON 8.46

-72.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$3.06 RON 14.58

-41.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.69 RON 17.59

-38.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.50 RON 7.14

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.33 RON 6.34

7.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$1.98 RON 9.44

-48.48%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.35 RON 15.95

-38.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$8.21 RON 39.11

19.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$6.61 RON 31.52

-30.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$9.76 RON 46.50

-21.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.37 RON 6.53

141.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$1.62 RON 7.74

-10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.66 RON 7.92

42.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$2.16 RON 10.28

-28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.84 RON 4.02

180.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.83 RON 3.95

139.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.11 RON 5.30

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.94 RON 4.46

-28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.26 RON 29.82

-52.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$6.87 RON 32.76

-7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.31 RON 6.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.06 RON 9.84

-16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.86 RON 4.08

-70.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$27.82 RON 133

-54.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$0.86 RON 4.12

-13.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.85 RON 4.05

-75.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$8.30 RON 39.57

-47.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.90 RON 9.08

-30.00%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$28.5K RON 135.7K

-23.56%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$27.3K RON 130.2K

-28.98%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$183 RON 870

-33.94%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$7.40 RON 35.28

95.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$8.66 RON 41.28

226.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$44.73 RON 213

-26.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$15.73 RON 75.0

-59.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$8.15 RON 38.86

-33.01%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$412 RON 1,962

-33.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$6,959 RON 33.2K

17.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$73.9 RON 352

-32.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$39.35 RON 188

-36.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$95.1 RON 453

-19.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$92.0 RON 438

-35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$539 RON 2,567

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$427 RON 2,036

-27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$874 RON 4,163

20.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$668 RON 3,185

-7.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$2,932 RON 14.0K

-0.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$1,910 RON 9,103

-2.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$1,117 RON 5,324

-69.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.18

0.28%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Iasi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Iasi

$427 34.1% 38.1% $118

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Iasi

$215 17.2% 2.1% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Iasi

$199 15.9% 21.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Iasi

$135 10.8% 42.8% $41

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Iasi

$180 14.3% 103% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Iasi

$61 4.9% 40% $17

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Iasi

$36 2.9% 136% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $539 in Iasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iasi pays 228% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $42.00 in Iasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $215 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Iasi

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

08:14 8:14 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

290,422

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Iasi 9,640 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Iasi

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 Iasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 228% lower in Iasi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $539 in Iasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,251 in Iasi – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 120% less than in Iasi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,251 in Iasi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Iasi. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iasi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Iasi 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Iasi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.