Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Pogradec

For one person, living is cheaper in Pogradec: $816 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Pogradec
🇦🇱 Albania
$816
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Pogradec

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $816 in Pogradec.

  • Cebu $915
  • Pogradec $816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,350 in Pogradec.

  • Cebu $1,418
  • Pogradec $1,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,884 in Pogradec.

  • Cebu $1,921
  • Pogradec $1,884

Living in Cebu is roughly 12% more expensive than in Pogradec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Pogradec 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05 ₱192
$9.82 ALL 791
-68.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00 ₱1,511
$39.52 ALL 3,183
-39.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.99 ₱251
$7.57 ALL 610
-47.29%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ₱157
$1.52 ALL 123
64.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱97.1
$1.78 ALL 143
-13.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₱31.37
$0.65 ALL 52.0
-23.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.52 ALL 122
17.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱136
$2.75 ALL 221
-21.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ₱126
$1.98 ALL 160
1.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ₱86.2
$0.97 ALL 78.1
41.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ₱64.9
$2.06 ALL 166
-50.00%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$2.20 ALL 177
-7.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.20 ₱642
$8.00 ALL 644
27.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.45 ₱280
$4.41 ALL 355
0.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 ₱483
$13.97 ALL 1,125
-45.10%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱208
$1.22 ALL 98.5
171.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 ₱91.8
$2.25 ALL 181
-35.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 ₱146
$1.52 ALL 123
52.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱94.0
$1.26 ALL 102
18.25%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 ₱147
$0.94 ALL 75.8
148.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$1.03 ALL 83.2
88.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 ₱73.0
$1.04 ALL 83.6
11.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₱42.89
$0.78 ALL 62.8
-12.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 ₱188
$4.25 ALL 343
-29.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.24 ₱393
$7.98 ALL 643
-21.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.3
$1.22 ALL 98.0
0.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱109
$1.87 ALL 151
-7.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₱14.36
$0.50 ALL 40.63
-54.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.34 ₱777
$18.68 ALL 1,504
-33.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 ₱49.96
$3.73 ALL 300
-78.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.86
$1.82 ALL 147
-87.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 ₱286
$18.74 ALL 1,509
-75.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ₱82.9
$2.25 ALL 181
-41.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ₱1.3M
$34.0K ALL 2.7M
-38.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$24.5K ALL 2.0M
-20.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 ₱7,464
$61.0 ALL 4,913
94.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22 ₱896
$16.58 ALL 1,335
-14.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 ₱1,730
$17.22 ALL 1,387
59.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.31 ₱2,034
$35.88 ALL 2,889
-9.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50 ₱409
$18.68 ALL 1,504
-65.20%
Cinema Ticket
$5.40 ₱340
$8.43 ALL 679
-35.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$276 ₱17.4K
$98.2 ALL 7,910
180.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,866 ₱495.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 ₱3,108
$49.70 ALL 4,002
-0.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58 ₱1,548
$56.2 ALL 4,523
-56.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,825
$98.3 ALL 7,916
-22.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9 ₱3,706
$150 ALL 12.1K
-60.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$503 ₱31.7K
$185 ALL 14.9K
172.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ₱19.2K
$123 ALL 9,902
147.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 ₱67.7K
$370 ALL 29.8K
190.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$632 ₱39.8K
$249 ALL 20.0K
154.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,870 ₱180.7K
$1,597 ALL 128.6K
79.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,877 ₱118.2K
$1,467 ALL 118.2K
27.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Pogradec
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$336 ₱21.1K
$476 ALL 38.4K
-29.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
5
44.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$305
Pogradec
$123 59.6% $182
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Pogradec
$211 0.5% $1.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160
Pogradec
$95 40.8% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Pogradec
$159 69.1% $65
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Pogradec
$142 62.2% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43
Pogradec
$53 22.4% $9.6
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Pogradec
$34 121% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $185 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pogradec pays 42% 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 $40.00 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $211 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇦🇱 Pogradec
🕒 Local time
06:55 6:55 AM
00:55 12:55 AM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
20,848
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Pogradec 10,350 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Pogradec

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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pogradec cheaper than Cebu?
Pogradec is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Pogradec?
On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Pogradec. 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 Pogradec?
Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $185 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Pogradec?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $816 in Pogradec – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Pogradec runs roughly 51% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $800 enough for either Cebu or Pogradec?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Pogradec gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Pogradec more family-friendly?
For families, Pogradec 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 Pogradec?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Pogradec 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 Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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