Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sofia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,589 in Sofia.

Cebu $934
Sofia $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,456 in Sofia.

Cebu $1,415
Sofia $2,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $3,324 in Sofia.

Cebu $1,896
Sofia $3,324

Living in Cebu costs roughly 41% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Sofia is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-82.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$66.9 BGN 117

-64.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-65.25%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-26.32%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-73.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-46.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-50.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.92 BGN 3.36

1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-5.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-53.85%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-53.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-47.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-54.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.17 BGN 3.79

52.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-28.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.84 BGN 3.22

28.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-64.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.03 BGN 1.80

129.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.93 BGN 1.62

113.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-27.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-30.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.18 BGN 2.06

11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-55.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-57.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.96 BGN 1.68

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-72.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-25.70%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-27.41%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-26.43%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$156 BGN 273

-22.69%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-31.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$15.64 BGN 27.37

80.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-76.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-45.51%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$766 BGN 1,341

-64.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$89.7 BGN 157

-44.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-39.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$106 BGN 186

-27.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$105 BGN 183

-43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$796 BGN 1,393

-36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$607 BGN 1,063

-49.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-32.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-41.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-33.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-42.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-80.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.89

149.13%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 96.3% $298

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 36.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Sofia

$193 12% 18.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 62.3% $59

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sofia

$256 16% 190% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 53.2% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 147% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $796 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 410% 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 $67.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $287 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

03:53 3:53 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Sofia 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 410% lower in Sofia. 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 $796 in Sofia. 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 $1,589 in Sofia – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 122% less than in Sofia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sofia. 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 Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sofia 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 70% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.