Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $522 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mahabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $522 in Mahabad.

Cebu $918
Mahabad $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $849 in Mahabad.

Cebu $1,409
Mahabad $849

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,177 in Mahabad.

Cebu $1,900
Mahabad $1,177

Living in Cebu is roughly 76% more expensive than in Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.97 $2.97

4.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$17.06 $17.06

41.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.06 $4.06

-3.45%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.13 $1.13

122.12%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.52 $0.52

205.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.94 $0.94

-43.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.65 $0.65

195.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.51 $0.51

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.07 $2.07

-51.21%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.18 $1.18

72.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.30 $4.30

129.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.21 $3.21

36.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.58 $7.58

0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.00 $1.00

230.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.55 $1.55

-10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.86 $0.86

170.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.61 $0.61

145.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.54 $0.54

337.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.47 $0.47

304.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.53 $0.53

124.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.26 $0.26

142.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.92 $0.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.14 $2.14

40.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.15 $0.15

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$8.76 $8.76

44.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.44 $0.44

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.29 $0.29

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.87 $2.87

55.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.10 $0.10

1210.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$47.7K $47.7K

-55.49%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$47.6K $47.6K

-59.82%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$12.32 $12.32

875.89%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.58 $1.58

786.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.76 $3.76

632.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$18.63 $18.63

73.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$11.75 $11.75

-43.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$1.97 $1.97

186.80%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$106 $106

158.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,234 $2,234

254.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$23.20 $23.20

112.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$28.48 $28.48

-11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$96.3 $96.3

-20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$71.4 $71.4

-19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$264 $264

89.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$211 $211

46.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$728 $728

48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$408 $408

50.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,131 $1,131

155.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$530 $530

261.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$253 $253

36.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

24.3

-70.37%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Mahabad

$211 40.5% 31.6% $98

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Mahabad

$105 20.1% 49% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Mahabad

$18 3.4% 89.1% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Mahabad

$99 18.9% 5.1% $4.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mahabad

$55 10.6% 37.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Mahabad

$23 4.3% 48.2% $21

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Mahabad

$11 2.2% 27.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $264 in Mahabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 37% 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 $17.00 in Mahabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $105 per month, with Mahabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

03:57 3:57 AM

23:27 11:27 PM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

208,541

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mahabad 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahabad is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $500 in Cebu versus $264 in Mahabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $522 in Mahabad – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mahabad runs roughly 44% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Mahabad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mahabad 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 Mahabad 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 Mahabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.