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 Sakarya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $956 in Sakarya.
Cebu $918
Sakarya $956
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,474 in Sakarya.
Cebu $1,409
Sakarya $1,474
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,992 in Sakarya.
Cebu $1,900
Sakarya $1,992
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 4% less than in Sakarya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Sakarya29% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$7.11₺352
-56.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$30.89₺1,530
-21.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$6.96₺344
-43.68%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$3.59₺178
-30.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$0.92₺45.55
72.83%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$0.37₺18.23
43.24%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.87₺92.6
-4.81%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$2.39₺118
-9.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.00₺49.60
92.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$1.01₺49.98
34.65%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$2.10₺104
-51.90%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$2.07₺103
-1.93%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$7.75₺384
27.23%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$2.89₺143
51.90%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$18.15₺899
-58.13%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$1.92₺95.1
71.88%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$1.87₺92.8
-25.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$0.84₺41.49
177.38%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$1.33₺65.6
12.78%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$0.49₺24.20
381.63%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.28₺13.78
578.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$0.75₺37.03
58.67%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$0.72₺35.79
-12.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$2.09₺103
43.54%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$14.46₺716
-58.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.94₺96.3
-36.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$3.47₺172
-49.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$0.45₺22.10
-44.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$62.0₺3,068
-79.60%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$1.05₺51.9
-26.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$1.12₺55.5
-79.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$4.21₺208
5.94%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.32₺65.4
-0.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$42.2K₺2.1M
-49.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$40.9K₺2.0M
-53.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$44.90₺2,223
167.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$10.23₺507
36.85%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$14.17₺701
94.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$40.74₺2,017
-20.64%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$6.12₺303
-7.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$898₺44.5K
-69.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$14.6K₺721.3K
-45.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$38.69₺1,916
27.50%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$42.32₺2,095
-40.36%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$82.9₺4,104
-7.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$71.3₺3,528
-19.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$407₺20.1K
22.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$299₺14.8K
3.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$785₺38.9K
37.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$498₺24.7K
23.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$1,211₺60.0K
138.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$689₺34.1K
178.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Sakarya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$899₺44.5K
-61.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
39.8
-81.91%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Sakarya: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.6%
Sakarya
$299 31.2% ↓ 3.3%$10
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Sakarya
$219 22.9% ↑ 6.4%$13
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Sakarya
$69 7.3% ↓ 57.2%$92
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Sakarya
$106 11.1% ↑ 12.7%$12
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Sakarya
$140 14.7% ↑ 58.7%$52
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Sakarya
$53 5.5% ↑ 21.5%$9.4
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Sakarya
$70 7.4% ↑ 352%$55
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Sakarya
$498 25% ↓ 19%$117
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Sakarya
$496 24.9% ↑ 2.7%$13
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Sakarya
$80 4% ↓ 54.8%$96
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Sakarya
$235 11.8% ↑ 12.7%$26
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Sakarya
$436 21.9% ↑ 49.2%$144
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Sakarya
$106 * 5.3% ↑ 12.9%$12
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Sakarya
$142 7.1% ↑ 348%$110
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 $500 in Cebu and $407 in Sakarya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Sakarya pays 160% 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 $31.00 in Sakarya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $219 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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 Sakarya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sakarya cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Sakarya?
On paper, salaries run 160% lower in Sakarya. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Sakarya?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $407 in Sakarya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Sakarya?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $956 in Sakarya – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 390% less than in Sakarya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Sakarya?
At $918 in Cebu versus $956 in Sakarya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sakarya. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Sakarya more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sakarya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Sakarya?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Sakarya are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Sakarya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.