Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ibra

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $978 in Ibra, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. The total is higher in Ibra despite lower rent and utilities.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Ibra
🇴🇲 Oman
$978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ibra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $978 in Ibra.

  • Cebu $918
  • Ibra $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,478 in Ibra.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Ibra $1,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,978 in Ibra.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Ibra $1,978

Living in Cebu costs roughly 6% less than in Ibra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Ibra 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$5.10 OMR 1.96
-39.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$39.13 OMR 15.07
-38.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$7.89 OMR 3.04
-50.32%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$5.20 OMR 2.00
-51.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.90 OMR 0.35
76.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.29 OMR 0.11
82.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$12.76 OMR 4.91
-86.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$12.74 OMR 4.90
-82.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$2.29 OMR 0.88
-16.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.24 OMR 0.48
9.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.84 OMR 0.71
-45.11%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$3.06 OMR 1.18
-33.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$7.13 OMR 2.74
38.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$7.10 OMR 2.73
-38.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$10.51 OMR 4.05
-27.69%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$3.50 OMR 1.35
-5.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.97 OMR 0.76
-29.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$2.34 OMR 0.90
-0.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.28 OMR 0.49
17.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.15 OMR 0.44
105.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.29 OMR 0.50
47.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.88 OMR 0.72
-36.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.66 OMR 0.26
-4.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$6.53 OMR 2.51
-54.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$15.66 OMR 6.03
-61.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$5.95 OMR 2.29
-79.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$10.26 OMR 3.95
-82.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$3.22 OMR 1.24
-76.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$2.53 OMR 0.97
-90.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$7.61 OMR 2.93
-41.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$0.59 OMR 0.23
122.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$25.8K OMR 9,914
-17.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$22.9K OMR 8,826
-16.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$179 OMR 68.8
-32.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$30.97 OMR 11.92
-54.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$70.0 OMR 26.95
-60.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$31.32 OMR 12.06
3.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$18.31 OMR 7.05
-63.68%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$7.17 OMR 2.76
-21.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$289 OMR 111
-4.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$10.7K OMR 4,120
-26.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$56.2 OMR 21.62
-12.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$43.05 OMR 16.57
-41.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$89.8 OMR 34.57
-14.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$87.3 OMR 33.62
-34.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Ibra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$4,091 OMR 1,575
-91.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
5.25
37.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ibra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Ibra
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Ibra
$292 41.6% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Ibra
$280 72.9% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Ibra
$124 32.4% $30
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Ibra
$221 150% $133
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Ibra
$46 4.7% $2
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Ibra
$16 * 1.9% $0.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Ibra pays 1083% 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 $39.00 in Ibra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $292 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇴🇲 Ibra
🕒 Local time
15:35 3:35 PM
11:35 11:35 AM
4 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
35,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Ibra 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Ibra

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 Ibra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ibra cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Ibra?
On paper, salaries run 1083% lower in Ibra. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Ibra?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Ibra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Ibra?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $978 in Ibra – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Ibra?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Ibra more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ibra, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Ibra?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Ibra 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Ibra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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