Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

For one person, living is cheaper in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: $713 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $713 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Cebu $918
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,101 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Cebu $1,409
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,101

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,490 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

Cebu $1,900
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte $1,490

Living in Cebu is roughly 29% more expensive than in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.32 LKR 1,430

-28.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$24.52 LKR 8,122

-1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.48 LKR 2,478

-47.59%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.46 LKR 815

2.03%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.68 LKR 225

133.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 LKR 90.2

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.17 LKR 719

-17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.95 LKR 976

-26.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.33 LKR 440

44.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.53 LKR 175

156.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.73 LKR 243

38.36%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.63 LKR 541

24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.88 LKR 4,599

-28.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.47 LKR 1,480

-1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$5.32 LKR 1,762

42.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$6.20 LKR 2,054

-46.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.80 LKR 266

73.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$4.42 LKR 1,465

-47.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.25 LKR 413

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.94 LKR 312

151.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.80 LKR 265

137.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.88 LKR 291

35.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.47 LKR 155

34.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$8.81 LKR 2,919

-65.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$12.64 LKR 4,185

-52.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.90 LKR 628

-35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.04 LKR 1,006

-42.43%

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

$0.31 LKR 103

148.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.34 LKR 114

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$0.93 LKR 307

379.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.10 LKR 364

19.09%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.8K LKR 12.2M

-42.33%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$40.6K LKR 13.5M

-52.87%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$44.92 LKR 14.9K

167.65%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$4.15 LKR 1,373

237.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$12.29 LKR 4,069

124.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$15.01 LKR 4,972

115.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.01 LKR 998

87.71%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$37.46 LKR 12.4K

634.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$909 LKR 301.0K

771.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$18.47 LKR 6,118

167.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$16.90 LKR 5,597

49.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$80.6 LKR 26.7K

-4.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$41.96 LKR 13.9K

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$307 LKR 101.7K

62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$228 LKR 75.6K

35.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$449 LKR 148.6K

140.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$383 LKR 126.8K

60.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$675 LKR 223.5K

327.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$538 LKR 178.2K

256.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$307 LKR 101.8K

12.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$228 32% 26.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$222 31.2% 7.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$61 8.6% 62.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$71 10% 24.4% $23

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$107 15% 21.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$21 3% 51.8% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

$2 * 0.3% 87% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 13% 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $222 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

15:11 3:11 PM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

115,826 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $307 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $713 in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 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 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.