Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Leova

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,355 in Leova, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Leova
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Leova Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Leova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Leova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,355 in Leova.

Cebu $934
Leova $1,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,116 in Leova.

Cebu $1,415
Leova $2,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,876 in Leova.

Cebu $1,896
Leova $2,876

Living in Cebu costs roughly 31% less than in Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Leova is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$10.65 MDL 189

-71.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$34.19 MDL 606

-31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$9.46 MDL 168

-56.77%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$0.86 MDL 15.27

193.02%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.49 MDL 8.77

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.39 MDL 6.84

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.62 MDL 46.35

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.74 MDL 48.59

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.74 MDL 30.91

12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.55 MDL 27.44

-7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.34 MDL 23.76

-23.88%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.33 MDL 23.59

54.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$13.92 MDL 247

-29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$2.28 MDL 40.39

102.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$4.02 MDL 71.3

91.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.36 MDL 24.17

143.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.88 MDL 15.60

64.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.98 MDL 17.38

140.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.11 MDL 19.68

38.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.50 MDL 26.65

57.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.59 MDL 10.50

237.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.44 MDL 7.74

161.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.99 MDL 17.57

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.74 MDL 84.0

-36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$15.20 MDL 269

-58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.16 MDL 20.50

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.70 MDL 47.88

-35.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.41 MDL 7.32

-39.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$28.96 MDL 513

-56.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$2.79 MDL 49.37

-73.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.55 MDL 9.68

-61.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$3.38 MDL 59.9

28.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.37 MDL 24.34

-2.92%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$33.7K MDL 596.7K

-35.36%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$35.4K MDL 626.7K

-45.15%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$189 MDL 3,358

-36.36%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$5.80 MDL 103

149.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$21.20 MDL 376

33.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$83.8 MDL 1,485

-61.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$11.12 MDL 197

-42.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$4.66 MDL 82.6

17.17%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$85.3 MDL 1,512

-41.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$55.3 MDL 981

-55.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$97.9 MDL 1,735

-21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$115 MDL 2,038

-48.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$654 MDL 11.6K

-22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$545 MDL 9,651

-43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,509 MDL 26.7K

-30.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,102 MDL 19.5K

-43.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,533 MDL 44.9K

15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$1,920 MDL 34.0K

-2.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$653 MDL 11.6K

-47.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.19

0.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Leova

$545 39.3% 76% $235

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Leova

$191 13.8% 9.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Leova

$216 15.6% 32.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Leova

$159 11.5% 68.1% $64

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Leova

$146 10.5% 65.1% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Leova

$93 6.7% 114% $50

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Leova

$36 2.6% 134% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $654 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leova pays 91% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $34.00 in Leova. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $191, with Leova cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇩 Leova

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

10,900

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 MDL = 5.64 USD

100 MDL = 5.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17.72 MDL (100 MDL = 5.64 USD). 1 EUR = 19.86 MDL (100 MDL = 5.04 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Leova 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Leova

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Leova. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $654 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leova pay roughly 10% 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 $1,355 in Leova – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,355 in Leova, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Leova. 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 Leova, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Leova 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 45% less than in Leova. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.