Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Pontianak

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $484 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Pontianak
Learn more

Pontianak Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Pontianak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $484 in Pontianak.

Cebu $918
Pontianak $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $600 in Pontianak.

Cebu $1,409
Pontianak $600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $717 in Pontianak.

Cebu $1,900
Pontianak $717

Living in Cebu is roughly 89% more expensive than in Pontianak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Pontianak 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.77 Rp 31.9K

74.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$8.14 Rp 146.4K

197.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

31.10%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

102.42%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.46 Rp 8,327

245.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.21 Rp 3,762

152.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.81 Rp 50.6K

-36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.73 Rp 67.1K

-41.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

7.45%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

36.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.32 Rp 59.7K

32.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.05 Rp 54.8K

8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

-27.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.20 Rp 39.6K

5.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.48 Rp 8,633

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.82 Rp 50.7K

6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$22.55 Rp 405.9K

-73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

-30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.27 Rp 4,796

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

79.45%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$120 ₱7,569

$68.5 Rp 1.2M

75.54%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$5.51 Rp 99.2K

154.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$22.14 Rp 398.4K

24.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$23.86 Rp 429.5K

35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$11.79 Rp 212.2K

-43.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.73 Rp 67.1K

51.47%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$33.12 Rp 596.2K

48.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$33.53 Rp 603.5K

-24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$169 Rp 3.0M

195.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$113 Rp 2.0M

173.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

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

$262 Rp 4.7M

32.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-28.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Pontianak

$113 23.3% 63.5% $196

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Pontianak

$151 * 31.2% 26.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Pontianak

$96 19.8% 40.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Pontianak

$30 * 6.2% 68.1% $64

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Pontianak

$62 12.8% 29.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Pontianak

$31 6.5% 28.2% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Pontianak

$1.1 * 0.2% 93.1% $15

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 $169 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 32% 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 $8.00 in Pontianak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $151 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

672,440

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Pontianak 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Pontianak

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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $169 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pontianak – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Pontianak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Pontianak 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 Pontianak 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 Pontianak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.