Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sari

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Sari: $918 and $885 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Sari
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Sari Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sari

🇮🇷 Iran

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sari

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $885 in Sari.

Cebu $918
Sari $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,092 in Sari.

Cebu $1,409
Sari $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,299 in Sari.

Cebu $1,900
Sari $1,299

Living in Cebu is roughly 4% more expensive than in Sari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Sari 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.83 $3.83

-19.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$11.96 $11.96

102.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.90 $3.90

0.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 $0.85

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.29 $1.29

94.57%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.48 $0.48

231.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.56 $0.56

-5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.48 $0.48

300.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.61 $0.61

122.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.30 $3.30

-69.39%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.23 $1.23

65.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.55 $4.55

116.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.39 $3.39

29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.16 $9.16

-17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.34 $1.34

146.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.88 $1.88

-26.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.19 $1.19

95.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.64 $0.64

134.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.54 $0.54

337.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.51 $0.51

272.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.54 $0.54

120.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.28 $0.28

125.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.44 $2.44

22.95%

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

$9.88 $9.88

27.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.51 $0.51

50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.31 $0.31

-25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.08 $3.08

44.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.08 $0.08

1537.50%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$50.9K $50.9K

-58.26%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$44.8K $44.8K

-57.22%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$12.89 $12.89

832.74%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$1.64 $1.64

753.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$3.78 $3.78

628.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$50.8 $50.8

-36.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$12.17 $12.17

-45.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$0.97 $0.97

482.47%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$50.8 $50.8

441.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$805 $805

883.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$26.52 $26.52

86.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$38.07 $38.07

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$116 $116

-33.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$74.6 $74.6

-23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$799 $799

-37.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$504 $504

-38.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$688 $688

56.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$404 $404

52.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$849 $849

239.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$516 $516

271.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$248 $248

39.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

24.79

-70.96%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sari: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sari

$504 57% 63.2% $195

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sari

$121 13.7% 41.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sari

$18 2.1% 88.7% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sari

$115 13% 22% $21

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sari

$62 7% 29.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sari

$53 6% 20.8% $9.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sari

$12 * 1.4% 23.2% $3.6

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 $799 in Sari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 39% 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 $12.00 in Sari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $121 per month, with Sari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇷 Sari

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

02:10 2:10 AM

4 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

300,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sari 7,620 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sari

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 Sari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sari is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $799 in Sari. 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 $885 in Sari – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sari runs roughly 28% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $885 in Sari versus $918 in Cebu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sari but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Sari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sari 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 Sari 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 Sari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.