Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kolonnawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolonnawa: $488 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
Learn more

Kolonnawa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kolonnawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $488 in Kolonnawa.

Cebu $934
Kolonnawa $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $794 in Kolonnawa.

Cebu $1,423
Kolonnawa $794

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,100 in Kolonnawa.

Cebu $1,913
Kolonnawa $1,100

Living in Cebu is roughly 91% more expensive than in Kolonnawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Kolonnawa 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$3.87 LKR 1,285

-2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$25.33 LKR 8,422

-7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$7.38 LKR 2,453

-46.61%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.45 LKR 816

3.67%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.71 LKR 236

121.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.25 LKR 82.6

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$2.16 LKR 718

-18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$3.06 LKR 1,018

-27.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.56 LKR 519

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$0.53 LKR 178

156.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.58 LKR 192

62.07%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.66 LKR 551

19.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$10.53 LKR 3,502

-7.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$4.63 LKR 1,539

-6.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$7.32 LKR 2,433

2.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$6.75 LKR 2,243

-50.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$0.85 LKR 281

61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$4.43 LKR 1,472

-47.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.32 LKR 439

12.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.04 LKR 347

121.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$0.77 LKR 255

142.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$0.93 LKR 308

18.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.43 LKR 142

46.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$10.34 LKR 3,436

-72.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$10.50 LKR 3,489

-42.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$1.77 LKR 588

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.22 LKR 738

-22.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.16 LKR 53.2

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.40 LKR 134

85.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.35 LKR 116

-37.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$0.93 LKR 308

360.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.33 LKR 442

-1.50%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

-52.65%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

-53.67%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

98.74%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$4.20 LKR 1,397

275.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$20.66 LKR 6,870

37.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$4.65 LKR 1,546

17.20%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

638.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$1,188 LKR 394.9K

555.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$18.07 LKR 6,007

166.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$16.73 LKR 5,562

46.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

-6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

39.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Kolonnawa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6% 6.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3% 48% $78

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2% 9.7% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5% 24% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9% 78.8% $35

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6% 81.5% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $25 in Kolonnawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $217 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

00:47 12:47 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

64,800

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Kolonnawa 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kolonnawa

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 Kolonnawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolonnawa is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and utilities. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $732 in Kolonnawa 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.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $488 in Kolonnawa – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $488 in Kolonnawa versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Kolonnawa but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Kolonnawa the clear choice for anyone on this 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 Kolonnawa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.