For one person, living is cheaper in Setif: $407 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Setif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $407 in Setif.
Cebu $918
Setif $407
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $677 in Setif.
Cebu $1,409
Setif $677
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $946 in Setif.
Cebu $1,900
Setif $946
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 125% more expensive than in Setif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu32% lower, Setif70% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$3.14DZD 420
-1.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,519
$15.71DZD 2,103
54.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱246
$3.49DZD 467
12.32%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱157
$0.58DZD 77.6
332.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱99.8
$0.60DZD 79.8
165.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.31
$0.22DZD 28.92
140.91%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$1.44DZD 192
23.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱136
$2.11DZD 282
2.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱120
$0.67DZD 89.6
186.57%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.1
$0.12DZD 16.26
1033.33%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.3
$1.05DZD 141
-3.81%
Eggs
$2.03₱127
$0.83DZD 111
144.58%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱619
$6.45DZD 863
52.87%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱276
$3.92DZD 525
11.99%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱477
$14.18DZD 1,898
-46.40%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱207
$2.09DZD 279
57.89%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.4
$2.82DZD 377
-50.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱146
$1.06DZD 142
119.81%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱93.9
$0.80DZD 107
87.50%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱148
$0.52DZD 69.5
353.85%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$0.46DZD 61.5
313.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.6
$0.41DZD 54.3
190.24%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.56
$0.17DZD 22.27
270.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱188
$2.72DZD 365
10.29%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱378
$5.20DZD 695
15.96%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.4
$1.23DZD 165
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$1.86DZD 249
-5.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Setif
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.80
$0.12DZD 15.68
108.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱792
$5.60DZD 750
125.71%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.43
$0.57DZD 76.9
35.09%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.47
$0.40DZD 53.0
-42.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱279
$4.87DZD 652
-8.42%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.5
$0.33DZD 43.65
296.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$27.4KDZD 3.7M
-22.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$20.4KDZD 2.7M
-6.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,540
$34.14DZD 4,570
252.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱878
$9.43DZD 1,262
48.46%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,727
$12.21DZD 1,634
125.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,028
$17.30DZD 2,316
86.88%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱417
$5.49DZD 735
21.13%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱354
$4.40DZD 589
28.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$553DZD 74.1K
-50.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱496.6K
$6,406DZD 857.5K
23.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,094
$16.53DZD 2,213
198.43%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,583
$15.00DZD 2,008
68.27%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,827
$33.96DZD 4,545
126.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,587
$56.2DZD 7,522
1.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Setif
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.3K
$66.0DZD 8,839
656.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$46.16DZD 6,179
569.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.6K
$130DZD 17.3K
731.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.6K
$114DZD 15.3K
439.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.0K
$340DZD 45.4K
749.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Setif
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.7K
$295DZD 39.5K
17.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
5.3
35.85%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Setif: October 13, 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%
Setif
$46 11.3% ↓ 85.1%$263
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Setif
$159 39% ↓ 22.8%$47
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Setif
$56 13.7% ↓ 65.5%$106
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Setif
$55 13.4% ↓ 41.7%$39
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Setif
$57 14% ↓ 35.2%$31
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Setif
$26 6.4% ↓ 40.1%$18
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Setif
$8.6 2.1% ↓ 44.6%$7
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Setif
$114 12.1% ↓ 81.5%$501
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Setif
$378 40% ↓ 21.6%$104
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Setif
$65 6.9% ↓ 62.9%$111
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Setif
$122 12.9% ↓ 41.7%$87
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Setif
$191 20.2% ↓ 34.5%$101
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Setif
$58 6.1% ↓ 38.5%$36
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Setif
$17 1.9% ↓ 44.8%$14
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $66.0 in Setif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 17% 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 $16.00 in Setif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $159 per month, with Setif 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 Setif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Setif cheaper than Cebu?
Setif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Setif?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Setif?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $66.0 in Setif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Setif?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $407 in Setif – a 125% 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 Setif runs roughly 126% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Setif?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Setif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Setif more family-friendly?
For families, Setif 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Setif?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Setif 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 Setif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.