Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Jambi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jambi: $582 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Jambi
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Jambi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Jambi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Jambi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $582 in Jambi.

Cebu $915
Jambi $582

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $920 in Jambi.

Cebu $1,418
Jambi $920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,258 in Jambi.

Cebu $1,921
Jambi $1,258

Living in Cebu is roughly 57% more expensive than in Jambi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Jambi 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

98.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$12.52 Rp 225.4K

91.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.95 Rp 53.2K

35.25%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

89.39%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.46 Rp 8,256

234.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.19 Rp 3,352

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.10 Rp 37.7K

-15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-34.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.10 Rp 19.9K

81.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

23.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

28.75%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$6.88 Rp 123.8K

48.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$8.34 Rp 150.0K

-8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.75 Rp 31.6K

32.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

25.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.28 Rp 23.0K

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.99 Rp 35.9K

-2.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.68 Rp 12.2K

70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.39 Rp 7,031

74.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.61 Rp 46.9K

14.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$18.00 Rp 324.0K

-65.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

-35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

-39.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.24 Rp 4,299

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.54 Rp 9,715

46.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.41 Rp 7,371

-46.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

94.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

34.69%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$20.5K Rp 368.7M

2.54%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.5K Rp 620.1M

-43.68%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$60.0 Rp 1.1M

97.58%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$4.49 Rp 80.8K

216.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$21.38 Rp 384.8K

28.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$15.48 Rp 278.6K

108.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$8.59 Rp 154.7K

-24.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

100.00%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$103 Rp 1.9M

168.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$6,931 Rp 124.8M

13.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$47.84 Rp 861.1K

3.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$26.06 Rp 469.1K

-5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$69.5 Rp 1.3M

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$65.3 Rp 1.2M

-9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$221 Rp 4.0M

127.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$132 Rp 2.4M

131.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$614 Rp 11.1M

74.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$313 Rp 5.6M

102.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$1,013 Rp 18.2M

183.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$764 Rp 13.7M

145.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$199 Rp 3.6M

68.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.46

-23.89%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jambi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Jambi

$132 22.7% 56.7% $173

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Jambi

$189 32.5% 9.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Jambi

$86 14.8% 46.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Jambi

$94 16.1% 0.4% $0.3

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Jambi

$57 9.8% 35.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Jambi

$21 3.6% 51.6% $22

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Jambi

$3.5 * 0.6% 76.6% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $221 in Jambi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 69% 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 $13.00 in Jambi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $189 per month, with Jambi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Jambi

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

750,857

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Jambi 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Jambi

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 Jambi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jambi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% 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 $221 in Jambi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $582 in Jambi – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Jambi 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 Jambi 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 Jambi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.