Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Muzaffarabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $394 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Muzaffarabad
Learn more

Muzaffarabad Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Muzaffarabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $394 in Muzaffarabad.

Cebu $943
Muzaffarabad $394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $579 in Muzaffarabad.

Cebu $1,437
Muzaffarabad $579

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $763 in Muzaffarabad.

Cebu $1,930
Muzaffarabad $763

Living in Cebu is roughly 139% more expensive than in Muzaffarabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Muzaffarabad 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$1.47 PKR 407

163.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$9.06 PKR 2,505

156.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$2.15 PKR 593

81.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 PKR 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 PKR 778

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.06 PKR 293

141.51%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$0.38 PKR 104

321.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.03

$0.17 PKR 46.35

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.96 PKR 264

107.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.63 PKR 175

117.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.9

$1.02 PKR 283

-6.86%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$0.88 PKR 243

129.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$3.58 PKR 990

168.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$2.48 PKR 684

75.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$3.19 PKR 881

141.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.05 PKR 291

214.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$0.52 PKR 144

144.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$0.35 PKR 96.7

568.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.4

$0.37 PKR 103

308.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$0.35 PKR 96.4

537.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$0.30 PKR 84.0

543.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$0.44 PKR 123

168.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.93

$0.26 PKR 71.6

150.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.49 PKR 412

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 PKR 202

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 192

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$0.88 PKR 244

228.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.17 PKR 46.80

35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱771

$9.34 PKR 2,582

31.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.11 PKR 307

-26.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$0.69 PKR 190

-71.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$1.48 PKR 410

191.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$1.22 PKR 337

13.11%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

-5.03%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

-18.12%

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

$124 ₱7,816

$119 PKR 32.8K

4.59%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$5.45 PKR 1,507

192.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,768

$8.87 PKR 2,452

216.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,104

$14.74 PKR 4,074

126.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$9.31 PKR 2,572

-31.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$2.01 PKR 556

191.04%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$47.20 PKR 13.0K

473.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

$1,084 PKR 299.7K

643.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,042

$5.27 PKR 1,456

816.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$8.85 PKR 2,446

177.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,856

$51.5 PKR 14.2K

49.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,558

$10.76 PKR 2,973

425.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$133 PKR 36.9K

271.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

$85.9 PKR 23.7K

274.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.4K

$266 PKR 73.5K

272.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.6K

$182 PKR 50.2K

246.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.7K

$770 PKR 212.9K

478.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.8K

$507 PKR 140.2K

497.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

$294 PKR 81.2K

16.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-52.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Muzaffarabad: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Muzaffarabad

$86 21.8% 73.3% $236

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Muzaffarabad

$74 18.9% 63.8% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Muzaffarabad

$133 33.8% 20.9% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.4% 65.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7% 63% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.8% 58.4% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Muzaffarabad

$15 3.7% 2.7% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $133 in Muzaffarabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 17% 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 in Cebu vs $9 in Muzaffarabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $74 per month, with Muzaffarabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

149,913

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Muzaffarabad 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Muzaffarabad

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 Muzaffarabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muzaffarabad is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $495 in Cebu versus $133 in Muzaffarabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $394 in Muzaffarabad – Muzaffarabad is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Muzaffarabad runs roughly 24% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Muzaffarabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.