Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Jhelum

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $399 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
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Jhelum Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Jhelum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $399 in Jhelum.

Cebu $943
Jhelum $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $616 in Jhelum.

Cebu $1,437
Jhelum $616

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $834 in Jhelum.

Cebu $1,930
Jhelum $834

Living in Cebu is roughly 137% more expensive than in Jhelum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Jhelum 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$1.86 PKR 515

108.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$10.81 PKR 2,989

114.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-28.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 PKR 695

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 PKR 587

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.50 PKR 416

70.67%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$0.45 PKR 123

255.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.03

$0.30 PKR 82.4

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.67 PKR 186

197.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.66 PKR 182

107.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.9

$1.22 PKR 337

-22.13%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$1.19 PKR 330

69.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$2.60 PKR 718

270.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$2.28 PKR 631

90.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$2.72 PKR 751

183.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.11 PKR 307

197.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$0.37 PKR 103

243.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$0.61 PKR 168

283.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.4

$0.63 PKR 174

139.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$0.28 PKR 77.4

696.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$0.35 PKR 96.0

451.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$0.43 PKR 120

174.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.93

$0.40 PKR 111

62.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 516

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 144

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 PKR 645

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$1.48 PKR 410

95.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.19 PKR 53.8

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱771

$9.82 PKR 2,714

24.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.06 PKR 294

-22.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$1.11 PKR 306

-81.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$2.87 PKR 793

50.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$1.17 PKR 324

17.95%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

-11.37%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$23.4K PKR 6.5M

-17.46%

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

$124 ₱7,816

$66.4 PKR 18.4K

86.90%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$5.63 PKR 1,556

182.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,768

$14.69 PKR 4,061

91.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,104

$14.73 PKR 4,071

126.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$7.96 PKR 2,200

-19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$7.14 PKR 1,972

-18.07%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$26.80 PKR 7,408

909.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

$2,037 PKR 562.9K

295.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,042

$19.11 PKR 5,280

152.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$26.16 PKR 7,228

-6.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,856

$53.6 PKR 14.8K

43.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,558

$30.33 PKR 8,383

86.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$137 PKR 37.7K

262.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

$83.5 PKR 23.1K

285.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.4K

$266 PKR 73.6K

271.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.6K

$184 PKR 50.9K

241.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.7K

$832 PKR 229.8K

436.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.8K

$509 PKR 140.8K

494.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.83

-39.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jhelum: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Jhelum

$84 21% 74% $238

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Jhelum

$72 18% 65.1% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Jhelum

$87 21.8% 48.4% $81

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Jhelum

$52 13.1% 44.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Jhelum

$58 14.6% 37.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Jhelum

$29 7.3% 35.7% $16

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Jhelum

$17 4.3% 15% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $137 in Jhelum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $11 in Jhelum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $72 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

190,425

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Jhelum 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Jhelum

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 Jhelum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $598 in Jhelum 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Cebu versus $137 in Jhelum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $399 in Jhelum – Jhelum is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Jhelum runs roughly 20% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Jhelum are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Jhelum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.