Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Piliyandala

For one person, living is cheaper in Piliyandala: $573 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Piliyandala
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Piliyandala Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Piliyandala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Piliyandala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $573 in Piliyandala.

Cebu $918
Piliyandala $573

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $902 in Piliyandala.

Cebu $1,409
Piliyandala $902

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,232 in Piliyandala.

Cebu $1,900
Piliyandala $1,232

Living in Cebu is roughly 60% more expensive than in Piliyandala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Piliyandala 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.07 LKR 1,017

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$12.01 LKR 3,977

101.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.54 LKR 2,497

-48.01%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.48 LKR 822

1.21%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.72 LKR 238

120.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 LKR 89.9

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.78 LKR 589

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.10 LKR 1,028

-30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.62 LKR 536

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.57 LKR 187

138.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.75 LKR 248

34.67%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.63 LKR 540

24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.83 LKR 4,582

-28.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.95 LKR 1,638

-11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.24 LKR 2,399

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$6.47 LKR 2,142

-49.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.80 LKR 264

73.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$4.28 LKR 1,419

-45.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.34 LKR 443

11.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.99 LKR 329

138.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.84 LKR 277

126.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.87 LKR 289

36.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.45 LKR 149

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$10.41 LKR 3,448

-71.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$13.07 LKR 4,329

-53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.95 LKR 646

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.95 LKR 976

-40.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.38 LKR 125

-34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.40 LKR 133

92.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.31 LKR 104

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$0.87 LKR 289

412.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.34 LKR 445

-2.24%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-41.57%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

-51.97%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$59.6 LKR 19.7K

101.66%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$4.36 LKR 1,444

221.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$20.37 LKR 6,748

35.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.64 LKR 1,538

21.77%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$37.70 LKR 12.5K

630.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,214 LKR 402.2K

552.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$18.00 LKR 5,961

174.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$16.53 LKR 5,477

52.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$41.97 LKR 13.9K

36.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$105 LKR 34.8K

375.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$74.5 LKR 24.7K

314.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$254 LKR 84.3K

323.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$178 LKR 59.0K

245.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$304 LKR 100.8K

13.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Piliyandala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Piliyandala

$75 13% 75.9% $234

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Piliyandala

$236 41.1% 14.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Piliyandala

$84 14.7% 47.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Piliyandala

$69 12.1% 26.2% $25

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Piliyandala

$96 16.8% 8.8% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Piliyandala

$9.3 * 1.6% 78.7% $34

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Piliyandala

$3.5 * 0.6% 77.7% $12

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 $105 in Piliyandala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 14% 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 $12.00 in Piliyandala. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $236, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Piliyandala

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

08:57 8:57 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Piliyandala 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Piliyandala

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 Piliyandala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piliyandala is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $105 in Piliyandala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $573 in Piliyandala – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Piliyandala gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Piliyandala 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 Piliyandala 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 Piliyandala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.