Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $707 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Semey

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $707 in Semey.

Cebu $943
Semey $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $1,148 in Semey.

Cebu $1,437
Semey $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $1,588 in Semey.

Cebu $1,930
Semey $1,588

Living in Cebu is roughly 33% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$4.91 ₸2,214

-20.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$22.29 ₸10.0K

4.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$5.48 ₸2,468

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.72 ₸775

48.84%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$0.77 ₸345

107.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.02

$0.49 ₸219

4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

$0.85 ₸383

107.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

$1.42 ₸640

51.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.02 ₸461

95.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.36 ₸162

280.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.8

$1.87 ₸841

-49.20%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$1.46 ₸657

38.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$5.23 ₸2,355

84.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$3.72 ₸1,675

16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$5.38 ₸2,424

43.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.24 ₸559

166.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$1.71 ₸772

-25.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.74 ₸783

34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.3

$1.62 ₸727

-6.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$0.41 ₸186

443.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$0.61 ₸274

216.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$1.20 ₸540

-1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.92

$1.00 ₸449

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$2.41 ₸1,086

19.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

$7.04 ₸3,171

-9.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.0

$1.34 ₸605

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$2.26 ₸1,019

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.25 ₸113

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱770

$17.39 ₸7,832

-29.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.36 ₸613

-39.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$1.14 ₸513

-82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$6.70 ₸3,017

-35.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$0.64 ₸287

115.62%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$28.4K ₸12.8M

-25.45%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$25.8K ₸11.6M

-25.20%

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

$124 ₱7,814

$33.68 ₸15.2K

268.59%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$9.00 ₸4,053

77.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,767

$18.82 ₸8,477

49.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,103

$42.70 ₸19.2K

-21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$11.20 ₸5,043

-42.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$4.42 ₸1,989

32.35%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$134 ₸60.5K

101.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.3K

$4,445 ₸2.0M

81.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,041

$28.87 ₸13.0K

67.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$25.42 ₸11.4K

-3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,855

$100 ₸45.2K

-23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,557

$74.8 ₸33.7K

-24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$346 ₸155.7K

43.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.2K

$224 ₸100.7K

43.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.3K

$632 ₸284.5K

56.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.5K

$489 ₸220.4K

28.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.6K

$1,054 ₸474.9K

322.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.7K

$869 ₸391.6K

248.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

19.25

-62.60%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Semey: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Semey

$224 31.6% 30.5% $98

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Semey

$154 21.7% 25.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Semey

$62 8.7% 63.4% $107

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Semey

$89 12.5% 6.8% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Semey

$103 14.6% 11.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Semey

$52 7.3% 14.3% $6.4

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Semey

$25 3.6% 70% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $346 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $22 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $154 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

310,456

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.66 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Semey 5,980 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $1,061 in Semey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Cebu versus $346 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $707 in Semey – Semey is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 30% less than in Semey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.