Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kostroma

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,228 in Kostroma, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Kostroma
Learn more

Kostroma Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Kostroma

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kostroma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,228 in Kostroma.

Cebu $918
Kostroma $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,964 in Kostroma.

Cebu $1,409
Kostroma $1,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,700 in Kostroma.

Cebu $1,900
Kostroma $2,700

Living in Cebu costs roughly 25% less than in Kostroma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Kostroma 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.72 ₽978

-73.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$59.2 ₽4,940

-59.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.31 ₽610

-46.37%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.69 ₽308

-31.98%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.58 ₽132

0.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.89 ₽74.0

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.75 ₽146

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$5.39 ₽449

-59.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.28 ₽107

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.01 ₽84.0

34.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.66 ₽139

-39.16%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.96 ₽163

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$14.64 ₽1,222

-32.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.55 ₽547

-32.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$14.95 ₽1,248

-49.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.07 ₽173

59.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.76 ₽147

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.03 ₽169

14.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.08 ₽341

-63.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.93 ₽77.3

153.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.75 ₽62.4

153.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.63 ₽136

-26.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.92 ₽76.7

-31.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.54 ₽296

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$11.92 ₽995

-49.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.20 ₽100

2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.65 ₽221

-33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.49 ₽40.96

-48.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.46 ₽289

-77.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.35 ₽29.46

-34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$11.76 ₽982

-62.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.83 ₽69.2

57.83%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$39.5K ₽3.3M

-46.19%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$39.1K ₽3.3M

-51.05%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$188 ₽15.7K

-36.00%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$9.10 ₽759

53.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$9.89 ₽825

178.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$38.56 ₽3,218

-16.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$24.29 ₽2,027

-72.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.55 ₽797

-40.84%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$350 ₽29.2K

-21.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$6,197 ₽517.2K

27.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$111 ₽9,247

-55.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$66.2 ₽5,521

-61.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$147 ₽12.2K

-47.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$180 ₽15.0K

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$515 ₽42.9K

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$275 ₽23.0K

12.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$811 ₽67.7K

32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$532 ₽44.4K

15.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,209 ₽184.4K

30.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,486 ₽124.0K

28.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$737 ₽61.5K

-53.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

19.56

-63.19%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kostroma: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Kostroma

$275 22.4% 10.9% $34

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Kostroma

$265 21.6% 28.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Kostroma

$207 16.8% 27.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Kostroma

$227 18.5% 141% $133

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kostroma

$189 15.4% 115% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Kostroma

$58 4.7% 32.2% $14

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Kostroma

$7.2 * 0.6% 53.8% $8.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $515 in Kostroma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kostroma pays 113% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $59.0 in Kostroma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $265 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇺 Kostroma

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

277,393

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Kostroma 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kostroma

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 Kostroma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Kostroma. 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 $515 in Kostroma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Kostroma. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,228 in Kostroma – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,228 in Kostroma, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Kostroma. 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 Kostroma, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Kostroma 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 34% less than in Kostroma. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.