Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $889 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $540 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lusaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $889 in Lusaka.

Cebu $934
Lusaka $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,510 in Lusaka.

Cebu $1,415
Lusaka $1,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,131 in Lusaka.

Cebu $1,896
Lusaka $2,131

Living in Cebu is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Lusaka 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$5.74 ZMW 114

-47.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$30.85 ZMW 612

-23.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$4.96 ZMW 98.4

-17.54%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.90 ZMW 57.4

-13.10%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.74 ZMW 14.65

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.46 ZMW 9.16

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.30 ZMW 25.85

37.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.27 ZMW 44.98

-0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.76 ZMW 34.83

10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.18 ZMW 23.41

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$2.13 ZMW 42.28

-52.11%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.92 ZMW 38.15

7.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$10.36 ZMW 205

-5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.25 ZMW 124

-26.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$6.62 ZMW 131

16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.48 ZMW 69.0

-4.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.40 ZMW 47.66

-39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.59 ZMW 71.1

-34.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$1.58 ZMW 31.25

-2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.53 ZMW 50.1

-6.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.81 ZMW 35.93

9.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.12 ZMW 22.23

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.79 ZMW 15.68

-15.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$2.96 ZMW 58.7

1.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$10.26 ZMW 203

-38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.44 ZMW 28.53

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.35 ZMW 46.63

-26.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.98 ZMW 19.51

-74.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$49.75 ZMW 987

-74.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$2.51 ZMW 49.71

-70.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.56 ZMW 30.84

-86.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$5.02 ZMW 99.6

-13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.55 ZMW 30.69

-14.19%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$7,507 ZMW 148.9K

189.92%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$27.0K ZMW 536.2K

-28.26%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$80.5 ZMW 1,595

49.86%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$10.41 ZMW 207

38.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$55.5 ZMW 1,101

-49.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$55.5 ZMW 1,100

-41.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$15.10 ZMW 300

-57.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$6.00 ZMW 119

-9.00%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$139 ZMW 2,748

97.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$16.7K ZMW 331.0K

-51.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$23.34 ZMW 463

112.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$15.35 ZMW 304

62.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$45.95 ZMW 911

66.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$72.3 ZMW 1,433

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$391 ZMW 7,744

29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$180 ZMW 3,575

71.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,107 ZMW 21.9K

-4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$596 ZMW 11.8K

3.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$1,906 ZMW 37.8K

52.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$4,999 ZMW 99.1K

-62.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$317 ZMW 6,282

7.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-75.17%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Lusaka

$180 20.5% 41.7% $129

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Lusaka

$239 27.2% 13.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Lusaka

$146 16.7% 10.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Lusaka

$71 8% 25.4% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lusaka

$111 12.7% 26% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Lusaka

$67 7.7% 54.7% $24

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Lusaka

$64 7.3% 314% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $391 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 8% 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 $31.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $239 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

10:19 10:19 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,742,979 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, 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 = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.24 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Lusaka 10,900 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lusaka

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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $391 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $889 in Lusaka – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 293% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Lusaka versus $934 in Cebu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lusaka 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 Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.