Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Soroca

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $390 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Soroca
Learn more

Soroca Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$390

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Soroca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $390 in Soroca.

Cebu $918
Soroca $390

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $631 in Soroca.

Cebu $1,409
Soroca $631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $872 in Soroca.

Cebu $1,900
Soroca $872

Living in Cebu is roughly 136% more expensive than in Soroca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Soroca 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.37 MDL 202

-72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$22.05 MDL 392

9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.45 MDL 79.1

-11.91%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.37 MDL 24.28

83.21%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.76 MDL 13.48

109.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.46 MDL 8.17

15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.10 MDL 19.56

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.43 MDL 25.38

51.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.02 MDL 18.17

88.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.35 MDL 6.22

288.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.13 MDL 20.13

-10.62%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.95 MDL 34.66

4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.00 MDL 35.49

-30.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.67 MDL 11.86

252.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.52 MDL 9.18

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.10 MDL 19.52

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.72 MDL 30.47

-23.84%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$20.7K MDL 368.0K

-7.61%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$58.9 MDL 1,046

104.13%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$8.14 MDL 145

71.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$13.07 MDL 232

110.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$27.67 MDL 491

16.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.33 MDL 59.1

69.67%

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

$33.04 MDL 587

49.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$33.97 MDL 603

-25.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$108 MDL 1,910

-28.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$34.12 MDL 606

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$502 MDL 8,917

-31.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Soroca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Soroca

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Soroca

$46 * 11.9% 77.5% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Soroca

$80 20.6% 50.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Soroca

$94 24.1% 0% $0

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Soroca

$134 34.4% 51.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Soroca

$34 8.8% 21.3% $9.3

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Soroca

$1.1 * 0.3% 92.9% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Soroca pays 45% 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 $22.00 in Soroca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $46.00 per month, with Soroca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇩 Soroca

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

07:08 7:08 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

37,400

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Soroca 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Soroca

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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Soroca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Soroca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 345% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Soroca – a meal for two runs $22.00 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 Soroca gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Soroca 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 Soroca 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 Soroca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.