Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Rajshahi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rajshahi: $319 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Rajshahi
Learn more

Rajshahi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Rajshahi

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Rajshahi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $319 in Rajshahi.

Cebu $918
Rajshahi $319

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $502 in Rajshahi.

Cebu $1,409
Rajshahi $502

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $686 in Rajshahi.

Cebu $1,900
Rajshahi $686

Living in Cebu is roughly 188% more expensive than in Rajshahi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Rajshahi 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$0.84 ৳103

267.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,520

$7.99 ৳983

203.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱246

$2.81 ৳346

39.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 ৳486

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ৳274

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱157

$1.37 ৳168

83.21%

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

$1.59 ₱99.9

$0.33 ৳40.85

381.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.33

$0.16 ৳19.09

231.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱120

$0.69 ৳84.5

178.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.2

$0.64 ৳78.4

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.3

$0.63 ৳77.9

60.32%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱127

$1.14 ৳140

78.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱619

$8.84 ৳1,088

11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱276

$3.18 ৳392

38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱477

$6.58 ৳810

15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$2.59 ৳319

27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$0.95 ৳117

46.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$2.34 ৳288

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.0

$0.48 ৳58.8

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.24 ৳29.26

883.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.46 ৳56.9

313.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.7

$0.32 ৳38.86

271.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.59

$0.30 ৳37.30

110.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.27 ৳1,510

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ৳197

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ৳255

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.32 ৳409

-9.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱378

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.81

$0.07 ৳8.45

257.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱793

$12.24 ৳1,507

3.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.47

$1.19 ৳146

-35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.49

$0.31 ৳37.71

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱280

$0.95 ৳117

369.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.5

$1.14 ৳141

14.91%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.9K ৳3.7M

-28.88%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.5K ৳4.0M

-41.15%

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

$120 ₱7,547

$44.85 ৳5,521

168.07%

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

$14.00 ₱879

$4.12 ৳507

239.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,729

$10.36 ৳1,276

165.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,029

$5.93 ৳730

445.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱417

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱355

$4.13 ৳509

36.80%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$13.45 ৳1,656

1946.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱497.0K

$688 ৳84.7K

1050.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,097

$7.11 ৳875

593.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,585

$14.66 ৳1,805

72.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,831

$25.27 ৳3,111

204.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,590

$21.41 ৳2,636

167.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.4K

$74.5 ৳9,165

570.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$46.35 ৳5,706

566.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.7K

$133 ৳16.3K

712.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.6K

$96.0 ৳11.8K

540.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.2K

$495 ৳60.9K

483.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.3K

$2,284 ৳281.2K

-16.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.7K

$219 ৳27.0K

57.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.48

-31.30%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rajshahi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Rajshahi

$46 14.5% 85% $262

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Rajshahi

$119 37.5% 42% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Rajshahi

$59 18.6% 63.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Rajshahi

$31 9.7% 67.2% $63

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Rajshahi

$33 10.5% 62.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Rajshahi

$14 4.5% 67.4% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Rajshahi

$15 4.8% 2.1% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $74.5 in Rajshahi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 58% 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 Rajshahi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $119 per month, with Rajshahi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇩 Rajshahi

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

2 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

451,425

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 62.77 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.25 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.12 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Rajshahi 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Rajshahi

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 Rajshahi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rajshahi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 58% 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 $74.5 in Rajshahi. 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 $319 in Rajshahi – a 188% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rajshahi runs roughly 3% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Rajshahi 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 Rajshahi 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 Rajshahi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.