Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kardzhali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kardzhali: $653 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Kardzhali
Learn more

Kardzhali Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Kardzhali

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kardzhali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $653 in Kardzhali.

Cebu $918
Kardzhali $653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,071 in Kardzhali.

Cebu $1,409
Kardzhali $1,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,489 in Kardzhali.

Cebu $1,900
Kardzhali $1,489

Living in Cebu is roughly 40% more expensive than in Kardzhali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Kardzhali 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.22 BGN 19.52

-72.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$22.74 BGN 39.57

6.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.05 BGN 15.75

-56.69%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.11 BGN 1.92

126.13%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.04 BGN 1.80

52.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.70 BGN 1.21

-24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.62 BGN 2.82

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.33 BGN 2.31

63.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.64 BGN 2.85

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.74 BGN 1.29

83.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.43 BGN 2.49

-29.37%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.81 BGN 4.89

-27.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.16 BGN 17.68

-2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.60 BGN 9.75

-21.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.74 BGN 11.73

12.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.90 BGN 1.56

266.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.04 BGN 3.55

-31.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.93 BGN 3.35

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.13 BGN 3.71

-29.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.65 BGN 1.13

263.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.27 BGN 2.22

49.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.72 BGN 1.26

65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.80 BGN 1.39

-21.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.59 BGN 6.25

-16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.56 BGN 7.94

32.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.05 BGN 1.83

17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.42 BGN 2.46

23.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.54 BGN 0.95

-53.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$11.13 BGN 19.36

13.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-54.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.70 BGN 1.23

-67.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.65 BGN 9.83

-21.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.70 BGN 2.97

-22.94%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.7K BGN 51.7K

-28.52%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$22.4K BGN 39.0K

-14.54%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$60.9 BGN 106

97.29%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$5.73 BGN 9.97

144.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$7.65 BGN 13.30

260.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$23.14 BGN 40.26

39.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$8.43 BGN 14.67

-32.98%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$230 BGN 401

19.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$14.5K BGN 25.2K

-45.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$22.87 BGN 39.79

115.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$12.49 BGN 21.73

102.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$45.07 BGN 78.4

70.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$75.0 BGN 130

-23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$114 BGN 198

339.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$114 BGN 198

170.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$228 BGN 396

373.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$275 BGN 479

123.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,145 BGN 1,993

151.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$858 BGN 1,493

123.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,281 BGN 2,229

-72.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.25

121.54%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kardzhali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Kardzhali

$114 17.5% 63.1% $195

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Kardzhali

$189 28.9% 8.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Kardzhali

$74 11.4% 54.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Kardzhali

$70 10.7% 25.6% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kardzhali

$148 22.6% 67.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Kardzhali

$40 6.1% 8.3% $3.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Kardzhali

$19 2.8% 18.9% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $114 in Kardzhali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kardzhali pays 270% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $23.00 in Kardzhali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $189 per month, with Kardzhali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇬 Kardzhali

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

16:27 4:27 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

49,421

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Kardzhali 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kardzhali

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 Kardzhali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kardzhali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 270% lower in Kardzhali. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $114 in Kardzhali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $653 in Kardzhali – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kardzhali runs roughly 14% 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 Kardzhali gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kardzhali 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 Kardzhali 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 Kardzhali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.