Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,057 in Jimma, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Jimma despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Jimma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,057 in Jimma.

Cebu $934
Jimma $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,424 in Jimma.

Cebu $1,415
Jimma $1,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,792 in Jimma.

Cebu $1,896
Jimma $1,792

Living in Cebu costs roughly 12% less than in Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Jimma 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$4.65 ETB 747

-34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.17 ETB 188

115.38%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.59 ETB 95.2

161.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.44 ETB 70.0

11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.81 ETB 452

-36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.43 ETB 230

58.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.15 ETB 185

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.36 ETB 58.1

297.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.12 ETB 180

-8.93%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$4.02 ETB 646

-48.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$11.49 ETB 1,847

-59.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$11.42 ETB 1,835

-32.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.30 ETB 370

43.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.12 ETB 180

29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.45 ETB 555

-31.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.58 ETB 93.8

165.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.55 ETB 87.7

329.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$3.35 ETB 538

-40.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.58 ETB 93.7

15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$6.63 ETB 1,065

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.16 ETB 187

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.45 ETB 234

19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.22 ETB 35.27

13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$13.38 ETB 2,150

-5.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$1.72 ETB 276

151.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.74 ETB 279

-23.56%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

-57.53%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

-66.53%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

90.07%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$36.28 ETB 5,829

-60.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$313 ETB 50.3K

-90.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$34.06 ETB 5,474

-4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

-73.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$139 ETB 22.3K

-44.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$115 ETB 18.5K

-48.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$208 ETB 33.4K

143.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$160 ETB 25.7K

93.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$415 ETB 66.7K

153.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$310 ETB 49.9K

99.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

30.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

67.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$227 ETB 36.5K

50.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-20.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Jimma

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $208 in Jimma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

11:23 11:23 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

207,573

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Jimma 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and utilities. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $506 in Cebu versus $208 in Jimma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jimma pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 6% less than in Jimma. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,057 in Jimma, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Jimma. 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 Jimma, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Jimma 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 13% less than in Jimma. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.