Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Qom

For one person, living is cheaper in Qom: $436 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Qom
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Qom Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Qom

🇮🇷 Iran

$436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Qom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $436 in Qom.

Cebu $918
Qom $436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $843 in Qom.

Cebu $1,409
Qom $843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,250 in Qom.

Cebu $1,900
Qom $1,250

Living in Cebu is roughly 110% more expensive than in Qom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Qom 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.94 $2.94

5.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$17.19 $17.19

40.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.04 $4.04

-2.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.03 $1.03

143.69%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.42 $0.42

278.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.66 $1.66

-68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.53 $0.53

262.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.56 $0.56

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.70 $1.70

-40.59%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.06 $1.06

91.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$2.77 $2.77

255.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.24 $3.24

35.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.37 $7.37

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.84 $0.84

292.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.39 $1.39

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.95 $0.95

145.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.43 $0.43

248.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.46 $0.46

413.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.47 $0.47

304.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.26 $0.26

357.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.24 $0.24

162.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.23 $1.23

143.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.15 $0.15

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$14.33 $14.33

-11.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.26 $0.26

196.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.27 $0.27

-14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$0.99 $0.99

350.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.10 $0.10

1210.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$49.1K $49.1K

-56.76%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$44.3K $44.3K

-56.79%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$13.13 $13.13

815.69%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.28 $1.28

993.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.72 $3.72

640.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$8.64 $8.64

274.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$9.81 $9.81

-32.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$0.99 $0.99

470.71%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$107 $107

158.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,622 $2,622

201.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$14.98 $14.98

229.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$13.07 $13.07

93.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$101 $101

-24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$50.9 $50.9

12.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$239 $239

108.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$160 $160

92.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$576 $576

87.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$561 $561

9.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$898 $898

221.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$604 $604

217.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$214 $214

61.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

20.33

-64.58%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Qom: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Qom

$160 36.7% 48.1% $148

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Qom

$93 21.4% 54.6% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Qom

$18 4.2% 88.8% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Qom

$81 18.6% 13.6% $13

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Qom

$56 12.9% 36.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Qom

$11 2.4% 75.7% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Qom

$17 3.8% 6.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $239 in Qom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 62% 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 $17.00 in Qom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $93.0 per month, with Qom cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Qom

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,075,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Qom 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Qom

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 Qom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qom is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $239 in Qom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $436 in Qom – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Qom runs roughly 13% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Qom gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Qom 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 Qom 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 Qom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.