Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sohar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,403 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sohar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,403 in Sohar.

Cebu $934
Sohar $1,403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,068 in Sohar.

Cebu $1,415
Sohar $2,068

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,734 in Sohar.

Cebu $1,896
Sohar $2,734

Living in Cebu costs roughly 33% less than in Sohar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Sohar is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$6.48 OMR 2.49

-53.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$20.49 OMR 7.89

14.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$9.19 OMR 3.54

-55.50%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.77 OMR 1.84

-47.17%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$0.64 OMR 0.25

140.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.28 OMR 0.11

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$13.24 OMR 5.10

-86.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$14.46 OMR 5.57

-84.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.11 OMR 0.81

-7.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.11 OMR 0.43

28.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$3.23 OMR 1.24

-68.42%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.74 OMR 1.05

-24.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$13.31 OMR 5.12

-26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$9.30 OMR 3.58

-50.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$14.55 OMR 5.60

-47.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.22 OMR 1.24

2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$2.19 OMR 0.84

-33.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.49 OMR 0.96

-5.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$1.22 OMR 0.47

26.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.74 OMR 0.67

35.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.79 OMR 0.69

11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.70 OMR 0.66

-32.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.90 OMR 0.35

-25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$5.83 OMR 2.25

-48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$25.80 OMR 9.93

-75.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$3.79 OMR 1.46

-65.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$8.71 OMR 3.35

-80.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$2.63 OMR 1.01

-90.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$51.1 OMR 19.65

-75.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$3.19 OMR 1.23

-76.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$1.58 OMR 0.61

-86.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$10.21 OMR 3.93

-57.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$0.60 OMR 0.23

121.67%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$18.4K OMR 7,099

18.01%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$20.3K OMR 7,828

-4.62%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$102 OMR 39.40

17.81%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$29.06 OMR 11.19

-50.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$90.2 OMR 34.71

-68.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$49.40 OMR 19.02

-33.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$11.56 OMR 4.45

-52.77%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$303 OMR 117

-9.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$7,070 OMR 2,721

15.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$50.1 OMR 19.30

-1.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$43.95 OMR 16.92

-43.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$78.4 OMR 30.17

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$46.23 OMR 17.79

28.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$503 OMR 194

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$378 OMR 146

-18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$827 OMR 318

27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$665 OMR 256

-6.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$1,178 OMR 453

147.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$765 OMR 295

143.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$2,514 OMR 968

-86.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.33

13.74%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sohar: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Sohar

$378 26.5% 22.2% $69

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Sohar

$346 24.3% 64.4% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Sohar

$222 15.6% 35.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Sohar

$98 6.9% 4% $3.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sohar

$235 16.5% 166% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Sohar

$73 5.1% 66.4% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Sohar

$73 5.1% 371% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $503 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 637% 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 $20.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $346, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇴🇲 Sohar

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

221,605

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, 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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Sohar 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
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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 Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 637% lower in Sohar. 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 $503 in Sohar. 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 $1,403 in Sohar – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 304% less than in Sohar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,403 in Sohar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sohar. 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 Sohar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sohar 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 50% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.