Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Miercurea Ciuc

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $735 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
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Miercurea Ciuc Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Miercurea Ciuc

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $735 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Cebu $918
Miercurea Ciuc $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,172 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Cebu $1,409
Miercurea Ciuc $1,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,609 in Miercurea Ciuc.

Cebu $1,900
Miercurea Ciuc $1,609

Living in Cebu is roughly 25% more expensive than in Miercurea Ciuc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Miercurea Ciuc 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$6.29 RON 29.78

-50.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$20.86 RON 98.7

16.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.10 RON 28.85

-35.74%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.72 RON 8.14

45.93%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.61 RON 7.63

-1.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$1.39 RON 6.55

-61.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.02 RON 9.56

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.94 RON 9.18

11.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.36 RON 6.45

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$1.14 RON 5.41

19.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.33 RON 6.28

-24.06%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.39 RON 16.03

-40.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.97 RON 37.72

23.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.57 RON 21.61

-3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.97 RON 37.72

-4.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.71 RON 3.37

364.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.49 RON 7.05

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.49 RON 7.04

56.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.48 RON 11.75

-39.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.66 RON 3.10

257.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.66 RON 3.10

187.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.40 RON 1.91

197.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.66 RON 3.11

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.08 RON 24.05

-40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$5.18 RON 24.52

16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.95 RON 4.49

29.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.28 RON 6.04

36.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.83 RON 3.91

-69.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$21.11 RON 99.9

-40.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$0.97 RON 4.59

-20.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$0.85 RON 4.03

-72.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$8.57 RON 40.54

-47.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.68 RON 7.96

-22.02%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$24.9K RON 117.8K

-14.71%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$24.6K RON 116.4K

-22.16%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$114 RON 540

5.30%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$5.37 RON 25.39

160.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$5.08 RON 24.05

442.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$31.21 RON 148

3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$10.57 RON 50.0

-37.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.77 RON 22.55

18.45%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$446 RON 2,109

-38.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$6,729 RON 31.8K

17.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$42.42 RON 201

16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$16.62 RON 78.6

51.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$68.6 RON 325

12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$82.9 RON 392

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$185 RON 878

169.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$155 RON 731

99.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$414 RON 1,957

160.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$370 RON 1,750

66.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$1,476 RON 6,982

95.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,363 RON 6,447

40.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$691 RON 3,270

-49.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.85

5.11%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Miercurea Ciuc

$155 21% 50% $154

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Miercurea Ciuc

$176 23.9% 14.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 17% 23% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Miercurea Ciuc

$95 12.9% 0.9% $0.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.7% 30.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.5% 6.6% $2.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4% 90.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $185 in Miercurea Ciuc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miercurea Ciuc pays 100% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $21.00 in Miercurea Ciuc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $176 per month, with Miercurea Ciuc cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

38,966

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Miercurea Ciuc 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Miercurea Ciuc

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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miercurea Ciuc is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Miercurea Ciuc. 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 $185 in Miercurea Ciuc. 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 $735 in Miercurea Ciuc – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Miercurea Ciuc runs roughly 67% 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 Miercurea Ciuc gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc 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 Miercurea Ciuc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.