Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sa'dah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sa'dah: $776 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sa'dah
Learn more

Sa'dah Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sa'dah

🇾🇪 Yemen

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sa'dah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $776 in Sa'dah.

Cebu $918
Sa'dah $776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,197 in Sa'dah.

Cebu $1,409
Sa'dah $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,619 in Sa'dah.

Cebu $1,900
Sa'dah $1,619

Living in Cebu is roughly 18% more expensive than in Sa'dah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Sa'dah 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$6.16 YER 1,454

-49.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$25.58 YER 6,034

-5.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.79 YER 2,310

-59.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 YER 459

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.65 YER 860

-31.23%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.14 YER 268

39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.55 YER 129

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.06 YER 486

-6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.70 YER 401

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.00 YER 472

-49.50%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.70 YER 873

-45.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$17.27 YER 4,075

-42.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.59 YER 2,027

-48.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$18.90 YER 4,459

-59.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.43 YER 810

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.01 YER 238

37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.18 YER 513

6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.72 YER 405

-12.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.46 YER 343

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.32 YER 312

43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.26 YER 297

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.64 YER 151

-1.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 YER 615

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 YER 437

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 YER 612

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.66 YER 1,334

-47.00%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$4.11 YER 971

-81.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.15 YER 507

-89.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$7.31 YER 1,725

-38.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.11 YER 499

-37.91%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$16.7K YER 3.9M

27.09%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$35.4K YER 8.4M

-45.97%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$108 YER 25.5K

11.40%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$23.58 YER 5,563

-40.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$101 YER 23.8K

-72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.76 YER 1,358

-1.91%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$114 YER 26.9K

141.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,139 YER 504.7K

270.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$42.72 YER 10.1K

15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$124 YER 29.4K

-79.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$48.66 YER 11.5K

58.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$40.96 YER 9,662

39.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

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

$311 YER 73.4K

11.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.25

-36.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sa'dah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sa'dah

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sa'dah

$272 35.1% 32.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sa'dah

$232 30% 43.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sa'dah

$116 14.9% 23% $22

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sa'dah

$129 16.7% 46.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sa'dah

$12 * 1.5% 73.6% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sa'dah

$15 * 1.9% 4.5% $0.7

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

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 11% 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 $26.00 in Sa'dah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $272 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇾🇪 Sa'dah

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

07:40 7:40 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

49,422

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, 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).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sa'dah 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sa'dah

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 Sa'dah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sa'dah is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $776 in Sa'dah – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Sa'dah 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 Sa'dah 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 Sa'dah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.