Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sharm El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $455 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Sharm El Sheikh
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Sharm El Sheikh Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$455

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $455 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Cebu $918
Sharm El Sheikh $455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $706 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Cebu $1,409
Sharm El Sheikh $706

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $956 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Cebu $1,900
Sharm El Sheikh $956

Living in Cebu is roughly 102% more expensive than in Sharm El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$23.17 E£1,237

4.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.87 E£260

-19.51%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.23 E£119

12.56%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.33 E£17.57

381.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.59 E£31.40

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.79 E£202

-53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.66 E£249

-53.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.82 E£43.80

134.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.45 E£24.03

124.44%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.21 E£64.5

67.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.75 E£200

17.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.55 E£82.9

112.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.45 E£24.00

208.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.45 E£24.12

417.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.27 E£14.28

455.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.17 E£116

38.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.48 E£78.8

-16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.10 E£5.23

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.46 E£24.81

184.78%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.7K E£1.7M

-34.98%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.8K E£1.2M

-12.15%

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

$120 ₱7,569

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

$14.00 ₱882

$11.34 E£605

23.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$27.77 E£1,483

-0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$359 E£19.2K

39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$287 E£15.3K

7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$622 E£33.2K

73.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$530 E£28.3K

16.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$948 E£50.6K

204.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$665 E£35.5K

188.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$151 E£8,062

129.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

26.5

-72.83%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

$287 63.2% 7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sharm El Sheikh

$55 * 12% 73.5% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

$39 * 8.6% 75.8% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sharm El Sheikh

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

$73 * 16.1% 17% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sharm El Sheikh

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sharm El Sheikh

$0.4 * 0.1% 97.5% $15

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 $359 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 129% 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 $23.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $55.0 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

12:29 12:29 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

38,478

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sharm El Sheikh 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharm El Sheikh is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 129% 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 $359 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 277% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sharm El Sheikh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.