Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Ragama: $503 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Ragama
Learn more

Ragama Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ragama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $503 in Ragama.

Cebu $915
Ragama $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $814 in Ragama.

Cebu $1,418
Ragama $814

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,125 in Ragama.

Cebu $1,921
Ragama $1,125

Living in Cebu is roughly 82% more expensive than in Ragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Ragama 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$3.73 LKR 1,237

-18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$24.62 LKR 8,154

-2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$7.63 LKR 2,528

-47.71%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.50 LKR 828

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.72 LKR 239

113.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.25 LKR 82.7

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.15 LKR 711

-17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.99 LKR 990

-27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.42 LKR 470

40.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.47 LKR 155

191.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.68 LKR 226

51.47%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.73 LKR 573

17.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$13.87 LKR 4,593

-26.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.74 LKR 1,571

-6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$7.33 LKR 2,428

4.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$6.69 LKR 2,217

-50.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.81 LKR 268

80.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$4.27 LKR 1,414

-45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.28 LKR 423

16.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.03 LKR 341

127.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.77 LKR 254

151.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.89 LKR 296

30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.45 LKR 149

51.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$10.11 LKR 3,350

-70.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$13.09 LKR 4,336

-52.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.97 LKR 653

-37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.94 LKR 974

-41.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.37 LKR 123

113.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.35 LKR 115

-37.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$0.93 LKR 308

388.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.38 LKR 459

-4.35%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$44.6K LKR 14.8M

-52.87%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-51.57%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$59.5 LKR 19.7K

99.18%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$4.28 LKR 1,416

232.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$21.08 LKR 6,982

30.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$4.45 LKR 1,474

21.35%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$37.59 LKR 12.5K

634.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$1,188 LKR 393.5K

562.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$18.21 LKR 6,030

171.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$16.89 LKR 5,595

45.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

-3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$41.92 LKR 13.9K

40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Ragama: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Ragama

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Ragama

$233 46.4% 11.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Ragama

$85 16.9% 47% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Ragama

$71 14% 25.1% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Ragama

$103 20.6% 17.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8% 79.4% $34

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4% 86.1% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Ragama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $233 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Ragama

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

15,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Cebu Ragama 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ragama

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 Ragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ragama is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $754 in Ragama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $503 in Ragama – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Ragama 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 Ragama 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 Ragama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.