Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ratnapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Ratnapura: $471 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Ratnapura
Learn more

Ratnapura Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Ratnapura

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ratnapura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $471 in Ratnapura.

Cebu $934
Ratnapura $471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $766 in Ratnapura.

Cebu $1,415
Ratnapura $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,062 in Ratnapura.

Cebu $1,896
Ratnapura $1,062

Living in Cebu is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ratnapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Ratnapura 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$1.99 LKR 659

52.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$9.15 LKR 3,028

156.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$5.89 LKR 1,949

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.17 LKR 718

16.13%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.74 LKR 245

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.47 LKR 155

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.93 LKR 639

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.74 LKR 908

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.77 LKR 586

10.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.75 LKR 247

90.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$0.63 LKR 208

61.90%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.11 LKR 368

85.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$15.11 LKR 5,000

-35.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.30 LKR 2,086

-26.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$15.80 LKR 5,228

-51.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$4.18 LKR 1,382

-20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.72 LKR 237

101.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$4.22 LKR 1,397

-44.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.99 LKR 329

55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.05 LKR 348

124.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.36 LKR 451

46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.47 LKR 154

144.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.44 LKR 145

52.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$12.91 LKR 4,270

-76.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$12.87 LKR 4,259

-50.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.09 LKR 691

-37.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.81 LKR 931

-38.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.37 LKR 124

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.38 LKR 125

94.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.44 LKR 145

-52.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$0.97 LKR 322

37.11%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$19.5K LKR 6.4M

11.67%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$19.6K LKR 6.5M

-1.09%

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

$121 ₱7,563

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

$14.45 ₱907

$2.08 LKR 688

594.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$7.36 LKR 2,434

284.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$9.19 LKR 3,041

255.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$2.46 LKR 815

121.95%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$10.68 LKR 3,535

364.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$7.54 LKR 2,495

229.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$85.6 LKR 28.3K

-10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$25.29 LKR 8,365

134.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$76.6 LKR 25.4K

559.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$54.9 LKR 18.1K

464.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$83.2 LKR 27.5K

644.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$167 LKR 55.3K

103.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ratnapura: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Ratnapura

$55 11.5% 82.3% $255

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Ratnapura

$258 54% 22.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Ratnapura

$9.4 * 2% 94.2% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Ratnapura

$58 12.1% 38.6% $37

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Ratnapura

$80 16.7% 9.9% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Ratnapura

$14 3% 67.6% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Ratnapura

$4.1 * 0.9% 73.7% $11

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 $506 in Cebu and $76.6 in Ratnapura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 104% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $9.00 in Ratnapura. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $258, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Ratnapura

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

52,100

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Ratnapura 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ratnapura

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 Ratnapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratnapura is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $506 in Cebu versus $76.6 in Ratnapura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratnapura – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $23.00 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 Ratnapura gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura 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 Ratnapura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.