Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Karaganda

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Karaganda: $943 and $927 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Karaganda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $927 in Karaganda.

Cebu $943
Karaganda $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $1,497 in Karaganda.

Cebu $1,437
Karaganda $1,497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $2,066 in Karaganda.

Cebu $1,930
Karaganda $2,066

Monthly costs are close between Cebu and Karaganda; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Karaganda 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$9.89 ₸4,455

-60.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$35.32 ₸15.9K

-34.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$5.41 ₸2,438

-27.91%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.87 ₸844

36.90%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$0.86 ₸387

86.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.02

$0.61 ₸273

-16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

$1.32 ₸594

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

$2.90 ₸1,307

-25.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.28 ₸578

55.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.49 ₸220

179.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.8

$1.31 ₸590

-27.48%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$1.79 ₸805

12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$13.39 ₸6,033

-28.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$5.55 ₸2,501

-21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$11.06 ₸4,980

-30.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.51 ₸681

118.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$1.91 ₸863

-33.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.87 ₸1,293

-18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.3

$2.17 ₸979

-30.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$0.61 ₸276

265.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$0.58 ₸262

232.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$1.02 ₸460

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.92

$0.70 ₸315

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$2.24 ₸1,010

29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

$8.40 ₸3,781

-24.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.0

$1.35 ₸608

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$2.11 ₸949

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.21 ₸94.5

9.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱770

$15.38 ₸6,930

-20.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.25 ₸562

-34.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$1.24 ₸558

-83.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$3.37 ₸1,517

28.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$0.56 ₸254

146.43%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.8K ₸9.8M

-2.94%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$32.4K ₸14.6M

-40.43%

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

$124 ₱7,814

$72.2 ₸32.5K

71.87%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$10.09 ₸4,543

57.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,767

$12.06 ₸5,431

132.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,103

$44.75 ₸20.2K

-25.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$18.55 ₸8,355

-65.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$5.21 ₸2,347

12.28%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$132 ₸59.5K

104.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,041

$60.1 ₸27.1K

-19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$59.1 ₸26.6K

-58.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,855

$78.0 ₸35.2K

-1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,557

$86.3 ₸38.9K

-34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$406 ₸182.7K

22.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.2K

$274 ₸123.6K

17.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.3K

$715 ₸321.8K

38.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.5K

$544 ₸245.1K

15.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.6K

$1,054 ₸474.6K

323.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.7K

$698 ₸314.2K

334.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

$569 ₸256.4K

-39.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

19.25

-62.60%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Karaganda

$274 29.6% 14.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Karaganda

$216 23.3% 5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Karaganda

$94 10.2% 43.9% $74

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Karaganda

$136 14.7% 43.3% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Karaganda

$128 13.8% 37.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Karaganda

$55 6% 22.3% $10

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Karaganda

$24 2.6% 58% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $406 in Karaganda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karaganda pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $35 in Karaganda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $216 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

520,486

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.73 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Karaganda 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Karaganda

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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Cebu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Cebu versus $406 in Karaganda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

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

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

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.