Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sibiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,100 in Sibiu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Sibiu
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Sibiu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Sibiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sibiu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,100 in Sibiu.

Cebu $934
Sibiu $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,661 in Sibiu.

Cebu $1,415
Sibiu $1,661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,223 in Sibiu.

Cebu $1,896
Sibiu $2,223

Living in Cebu costs roughly 15% less than in Sibiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Sibiu 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$8.16 RON 38.60

-62.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$41.87 RON 198

-43.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$7.41 RON 35.04

-44.80%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$3.19 RON 15.08

-21.00%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$2.13 RON 10.06

-27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.75 RON 8.26

-72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$3.20 RON 15.13

-44.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.01 RON 18.95

-43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.36 RON 6.44

43.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.09 RON 5.14

31.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.34 RON 6.34

-23.88%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.39 RON 16.02

-39.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$7.66 RON 36.23

28.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$5.83 RON 27.57

-20.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$7.70 RON 36.44

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.16 RON 5.50

185.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.50 RON 7.09

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.51 RON 7.13

56.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.53 RON 11.98

-39.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.66 RON 3.11

257.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.65 RON 3.06

206.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.00 RON 4.71

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.93 RON 4.40

-27.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$5.88 RON 27.80

-48.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$7.21 RON 34.12

-11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$0.96 RON 4.55

36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.35 RON 6.36

28.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.72 RON 3.41

-65.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$17.22 RON 81.4

-26.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.96 RON 4.55

-22.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.82 RON 3.87

-74.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$8.54 RON 40.38

-49.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.95 RON 9.24

-31.79%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$28.1K RON 132.7K

-22.45%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$25.7K RON 121.4K

-24.40%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$115 RON 545

4.63%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$8.92 RON 42.19

62.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$12.41 RON 58.7

127.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$35.40 RON 167

-7.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$14.09 RON 66.6

-54.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$6.63 RON 31.36

-17.65%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$449 RON 2,123

-39.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$6,642 RON 31.4K

22.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$75.2 RON 356

-34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$32.06 RON 152

-22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$87.4 RON 414

-12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$88.0 RON 416

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$442 RON 2,091

14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$411 RON 1,942

-24.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$831 RON 3,931

26.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$590 RON 2,790

4.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,519 RON 11.9K

15.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$2,044 RON 9,669

-8.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$1,123 RON 5,312

-69.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

7.02

2.56%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Sibiu

$411 37.1% 32.7% $101

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Sibiu

$192 17.4% 8.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Sibiu

$137 12.4% 16.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Sibiu

$127 11.5% 34.4% $33

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sibiu

$165 14.9% 87% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Sibiu

$49 4.4% 11.6% $5.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Sibiu

$25 2.3% 62.9% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $442 in Sibiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibiu pays 229% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $42.00 in Sibiu. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $192, with Sibiu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Sibiu

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

11:14 11:14 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

147,245

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Sibiu 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sibiu

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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 229% lower in Sibiu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $442 in Sibiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,100 in Sibiu – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 36% less than in Sibiu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,100 in Sibiu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sibiu. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sibiu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sibiu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Sibiu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.