Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Smolyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Smolyan: $724 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Smolyan
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Smolyan Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Smolyan

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Smolyan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $724 in Smolyan.

Cebu $915
Smolyan $724

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,158 in Smolyan.

Cebu $1,418
Smolyan $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,591 in Smolyan.

Cebu $1,921
Smolyan $1,591

Living in Cebu is roughly 26% more expensive than in Smolyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Smolyan 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$6.43 BGN 11.19

-52.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$37.31 BGN 64.9

-35.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$5.72 BGN 9.95

-30.24%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.29 BGN 2.25

93.80%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.98 BGN 1.71

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.69 BGN 1.20

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.74 BGN 3.04

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.11 BGN 3.67

2.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.69 BGN 2.93

18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.95 BGN 1.66

44.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.70 BGN 2.96

-39.41%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.26 BGN 5.67

-37.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$10.12 BGN 17.60

0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$5.73 BGN 9.96

-22.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$8.47 BGN 14.73

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.16 BGN 2.02

185.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.17 BGN 2.04

98.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-36.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.15 BGN 2.01

103.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.42 BGN 2.47

36.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.92 BGN 1.60

26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.54 BGN 0.94

25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$3.44 BGN 5.98

-13.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$5.56 BGN 9.68

12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$0.55 BGN 0.96

123.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.70 BGN 2.95

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.95 BGN 1.65

-75.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$32.88 BGN 57.2

-62.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$1.29 BGN 2.25

-38.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.59 BGN 1.02

-62.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$12.04 BGN 20.95

-62.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.55 BGN 2.69

-14.84%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$23.0K BGN 40.1K

-8.76%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$22.7K BGN 39.5K

-14.44%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$103 BGN 179

14.97%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$14.48 BGN 25.20

-1.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$9.12 BGN 15.86

201.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$21.89 BGN 38.10

47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$16.77 BGN 29.18

-61.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$7.54 BGN 13.12

-28.38%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$232 BGN 403

19.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$5,911 BGN 10.3K

33.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$28.35 BGN 49.33

74.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$21.15 BGN 36.79

16.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$59.2 BGN 103

29.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$63.1 BGN 110

-6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$201 BGN 349

150.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$141 BGN 246

115.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$290 BGN 504

270.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$244 BGN 424

159.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$1,342 BGN 2,335

113.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,059 BGN 1,843

77.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$670 BGN 1,165

-49.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.25

121.54%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Smolyan

$141 19.5% 53.6% $163

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Smolyan

$197 27.2% 6.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Smolyan

$127 17.5% 20.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Smolyan

$77 10.7% 18% $17

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Smolyan

$104 14.3% 18.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Smolyan

$37 5.1% 14.2% $6.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Smolyan

$41 5.7% 170% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $201 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Smolyan pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $37.00 in Smolyan. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $197, with Smolyan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇬 Smolyan

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

30,507

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Smolyan 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Smolyan

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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 99% lower in Smolyan. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $201 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $724 in Smolyan – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Smolyan runs roughly 166% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Smolyan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Smolyan 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 Smolyan 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 Smolyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.