Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ismailia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $330 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Ismailia
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Ismailia Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Ismailia

🇪🇬 Egypt

$330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ismailia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $330 in Ismailia.

Cebu $915
Ismailia $330

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $561 in Ismailia.

Cebu $1,418
Ismailia $561

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $792 in Ismailia.

Cebu $1,921
Ismailia $792

Living in Cebu is roughly 177% more expensive than in Ismailia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Ismailia 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$3.30 E£176

-7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$14.58 E£778

64.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$3.76 E£201

6.12%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.04 E£55.5

140.38%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.30 E£15.91

413.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.13 E£6.85

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.32 E£70.6

34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.80 E£96.0

20.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$0.79 E£42.30

153.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.36 E£19.07

280.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.60 E£32.12

71.67%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.15 E£61.5

76.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$3.49 E£186

192.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$3.98 E£213

11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$6.95 E£371

10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.45 E£77.3

128.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.54 E£29.05

170.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$0.41 E£22.01

465.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$0.31 E£16.79

380.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.26 E£13.89

800.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.32 E£17.12

506.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.23 E£12.31

404.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.20 E£10.67

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$1.86 E£99.5

60.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$5.48 E£293

13.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.04 E£55.4

18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.89 E£101

-8.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.23 E£12.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$3.77 E£201

227.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.39 E£20.60

102.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.48 E£25.72

-54.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$1.13 E£60.2

301.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.42 E£22.18

214.29%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$27.6K E£1.5M

-24.01%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$14.6K E£780.2K

32.81%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$13.94 E£744

750.43%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$6.66 E£355

113.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$7.33 E£391

274.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$9.65 E£515

234.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$18.42 E£984

-64.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$1.82 E£97.4

196.70%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$65.6 E£3,502

320.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$1,171 E£62.5K

571.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$12.92 E£690

282.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$9.19 E£491

167.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$127 E£6,764

-39.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$27.53 E£1,470

113.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$78.3 E£4,181

543.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$31.44 E£1,679

868.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$120 E£6,414

794.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$75.2 E£4,017

740.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$458 E£24.5K

525.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$131 E£6,984

1335.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$101 E£5,387

232.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

21.33

-66.24%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Ismailia

$31 9.5% 89.7% $273

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Ismailia

$108 32.8% 48.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Ismailia

$28 8.5% 82.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Ismailia

$79 24.1% 15.8% $15

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Ismailia

$62 18.8% 29.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Ismailia

$13 4% 69.1% $30

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Ismailia

$7.5 2.3% 50.6% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $78.3 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 233% 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 $15.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $108 per month, with Ismailia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇪🇬 Ismailia

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

00:24 12:24 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

352,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, 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).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Ismailia 9,580 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ismailia

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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ismailia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 177% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 233% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $78.3 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $330 in Ismailia – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ismailia runs roughly 227% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ismailia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Ismailia 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 Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.