Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Piatra Neamt

For one person, living is cheaper in Piatra Neamt: $783 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Piatra Neamt
🇷🇴 Romania
$783
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Piatra Neamt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $783 in Piatra Neamt.

  • Cebu $918
  • Piatra Neamt $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,190 in Piatra Neamt.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Piatra Neamt $1,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,598 in Piatra Neamt.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Piatra Neamt $1,598

Living in Cebu is roughly 17% more expensive than in Piatra Neamt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Piatra Neamt 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$8.75 RON 41.38
-64.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$32.69 RON 155
-25.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$7.26 RON 34.37
-46.01%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.25 RON 10.66
11.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$1.43 RON 6.76
11.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$1.22 RON 5.79
-56.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.89 RON 8.95
-5.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.32 RON 10.98
-6.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.38 RON 6.55
39.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.97 RON 4.58
40.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.38 RON 6.53
-26.81%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.87 RON 13.57
-29.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$8.16 RON 38.59
20.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$5.63 RON 26.65
-22.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$9.37 RON 44.32
-18.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$0.92 RON 4.37
258.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.30 RON 6.15
6.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$1.19 RON 5.65
95.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.81 RON 8.57
-17.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.60 RON 2.85
293.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.53 RON 2.51
258.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.80 RON 3.79
48.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.72 RON 3.39
-12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$5.61 RON 26.56
-46.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$4.64 RON 21.96
29.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$0.91 RON 4.30
35.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.14 RON 5.38
53.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.60 RON 2.86
-58.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$0.87 RON 4.11
-11.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.82 RON 3.86
-71.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$7.41 RON 35.06
-39.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.52 RON 7.21
-13.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$29.0K RON 137.0K
-26.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$25.3K RON 119.6K
-24.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$99.8 RON 472
20.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$6.94 RON 32.83
101.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$5.74 RON 27.17
379.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$31.94 RON 151
1.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$8.53 RON 40.36
-22.04%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$5.70 RON 26.95
-0.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$1,334 RON 6,310
-79.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$52.7 RON 249
-6.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$30.02 RON 142
-15.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$75.8 RON 359
1.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$76.5 RON 362
-25.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$287 RON 1,359
73.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$192 RON 908
60.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$414 RON 1,960
160.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$261 RON 1,234
135.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$2,332 RON 11.0K
23.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$1,859 RON 8,793
3.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Piatra Neamt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$1,334 RON 6,312
-74.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
6.63
8.60%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Piatra Neamt: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Piatra Neamt
$192 37.8% $117
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Piatra Neamt
$178 13.4% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Piatra Neamt
$113 30.5% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Piatra Neamt
$106 12.6% $12
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Piatra Neamt
$144 62.6% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Piatra Neamt
$43 0.7% $0.3
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Piatra Neamt
$7.4 * 52.7% $8.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $287 in Piatra Neamt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piatra Neamt pays 286% 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 $33.00 in Piatra Neamt. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $178, with Piatra Neamt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇷🇴 Piatra Neamt
🕒 Local time
22:04 10:04 PM
17:04 5:04 PM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
85,055
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Piatra Neamt 9,740 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Piatra Neamt

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 Piatra Neamt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Piatra Neamt cheaper than Cebu?
Piatra Neamt is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Piatra Neamt?
On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Piatra Neamt. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Piatra Neamt?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $287 in Piatra Neamt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Piatra Neamt?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Piatra Neamt?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $783 in Piatra Neamt – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Piatra Neamt?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Piatra Neamt gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Piatra Neamt more family-friendly?
For families, Piatra Neamt 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Piatra Neamt?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Piatra Neamt are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Piatra Neamt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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