Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kocani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $866 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Kocani
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Kocani Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Kocani

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kocani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $866 in Kocani.

Cebu $915
Kocani $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,310 in Kocani.

Cebu $1,418
Kocani $1,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,753 in Kocani.

Cebu $1,921
Kocani $1,753

Living in Cebu is roughly 6% more expensive than in Kocani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Kocani 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$9.43 MKD 514

-67.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$34.53 MKD 1,884

-30.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$6.33 MKD 345

-36.97%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.08 MKD 58.8

131.48%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.43 MKD 78.1

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$1.06 MKD 58.1

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.80 MKD 153

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.02 MKD 165

-28.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.22 MKD 66.8

63.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.57 MKD 31.35

140.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.67 MKD 91.0

-38.32%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.81 MKD 98.7

12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$6.39 MKD 348

59.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.29 MKD 234

3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$8.07 MKD 440

-4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.24 MKD 67.7

166.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.37 MKD 74.7

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.23 MKD 67.3

88.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.77 MKD 96.4

-15.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.70 MKD 38.20

234.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.83 MKD 45.16

133.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.53 MKD 28.66

118.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.46 MKD 25.25

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.35 MKD 183

-10.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$3.73 MKD 204

67.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$0.80 MKD 43.41

53.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.11 MKD 60.4

55.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$1.40 MKD 76.4

-83.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$23.25 MKD 1,268

-46.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$1.11 MKD 60.3

-28.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.57 MKD 31.18

-61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$3.13 MKD 171

45.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.36 MKD 74.1

-2.94%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$35.1K MKD 1.9M

-40.24%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$27.4K MKD 1.5M

-29.24%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$157 MKD 8,580

-24.63%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$17.56 MKD 958

-19.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$14.78 MKD 806

85.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$16.63 MKD 907

94.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$17.58 MKD 959

-63.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$7.23 MKD 395

-25.31%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$351 MKD 19.2K

-21.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$5,780 MKD 315.3K

36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$63.5 MKD 3,463

-22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$36.70 MKD 2,002

-33.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$92.2 MKD 5,027

-16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$101 MKD 5,503

-41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$273 MKD 14.9K

84.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$193 MKD 10.5K

57.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$492 MKD 26.8K

118.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$301 MKD 16.4K

109.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$1,498 MKD 81.7K

91.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,172 MKD 63.9K

60.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$455 MKD 24.8K

-26.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.23

70.21%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kocani: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Kocani

$193 22.3% 36.6% $111

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Kocani

$150 17.3% 28.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Kocani

$190 21.9% 18.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Kocani

$132 15.2% 40% $38

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kocani

$137 15.9% 56.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Kocani

$31 3.6% 27.9% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Kocani

$33 3.8% 117% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $273 in Kocani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kocani pays 36% 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 $35.00 in Kocani. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $150, with Kocani cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇰 Kocani

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

29,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Kocani 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kocani

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 Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kocani is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Kocani. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $273 in Kocani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $866 in Kocani – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kocani runs roughly 88% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Kocani 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 Kocani 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 Kocani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.