Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
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Struga Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Struga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $867 in Struga.

Cebu $918
Struga $867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,319 in Struga.

Cebu $1,409
Struga $1,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,771 in Struga.

Cebu $1,900
Struga $1,771

Living in Cebu is roughly 6% more expensive than in Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Struga 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$7.38 MKD 402

-58.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$29.55 MKD 1,612

-18.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.35 MKD 292

-26.73%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.50 MKD 81.9

67.33%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.79 MKD 97.7

-11.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.17 MKD 63.7

-54.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.73 MKD 149

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.04 MKD 166

-28.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.26 MKD 68.9

52.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.69 MKD 37.56

97.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.61 MKD 87.8

-37.27%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.97 MKD 107

3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.78 MKD 424

26.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.37 MKD 348

-31.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.59 MKD 687

-39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.47 MKD 80.3

124.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.32 MKD 71.8

5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.30 MKD 70.7

79.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.60 MKD 87.4

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.87 MKD 47.52

171.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.80 MKD 43.56

137.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.59 MKD 32.44

101.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.55 MKD 29.88

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.42 MKD 186

-12.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.51 MKD 246

33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.06 MKD 57.9

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.46 MKD 79.7

19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.89 MKD 48.58

-71.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$53.6 MKD 2,924

-76.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.12 MKD 61.0

-31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.62 MKD 33.69

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$4.87 MKD 266

-8.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.49 MKD 81.3

-12.08%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

-41.02%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

-29.82%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$99.8 MKD 5,445

20.45%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$10.97 MKD 599

27.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$18.76 MKD 1,024

46.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$19.98 MKD 1,090

61.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$11.68 MKD 637

-43.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.21 MKD 393

-21.64%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$116 MKD 6,348

136.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,579 MKD 86.1K

401.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$83.5 MKD 4,553

-40.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$30.17 MKD 1,646

-16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$70.1 MKD 3,825

9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$52.4 MKD 2,856

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$269 MKD 14.7K

85.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$225 MKD 12.3K

37.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$439 MKD 23.9K

145.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$355 MKD 19.4K

73.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,504 MKD 82.0K

91.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,328 MKD 72.4K

44.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$867 MKD 47.3K

-60.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.75

92.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Struga

$225 25.9% 27.2% $84

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Struga

$186 21.4% 9.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Struga

$130 15% 19.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Struga

$106 12.3% 13.1% $12

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Struga

$125 14.4% 41.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Struga

$34 4% 21.1% $9.2

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Struga

$61 7.1% 294% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $269 in Struga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Struga pays 151% 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 $30.00 in Struga. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $186, with Struga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇰 Struga

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

07:50 7:50 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

33,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Struga 10,340 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Struga

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Struga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 151% lower in Struga. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $269 in Struga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $867 in Struga – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Struga runs roughly 324% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Struga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Struga 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 Struga 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 Struga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.