Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Strumica

For one person, living is cheaper in Strumica: $855 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $760 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Strumica
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Strumica Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Strumica

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Strumica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $855 in Strumica.

Cebu $918
Strumica $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,214 in Strumica.

Cebu $1,409
Strumica $1,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,573 in Strumica.

Cebu $1,900
Strumica $1,573

Living in Cebu is roughly 7% more expensive than in Strumica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Strumica 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.65 MKD 199

-15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$22.76 MKD 1,242

6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.67 MKD 200

6.81%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.56 MKD 85.2

60.90%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.32 MKD 72.1

20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.20 MKD 65.5

-55.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.84 MKD 101

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.06 MKD 112

5.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.27 MKD 69.5

51.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.80 MKD 43.71

70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.68 MKD 91.7

-39.88%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.22 MKD 121

-8.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.85 MKD 428

25.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.06 MKD 331

-27.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.11 MKD 551

-24.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.62 MKD 33.64

432.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.40 MKD 76.2

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.16 MKD 63.4

100.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.90 MKD 103

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.83 MKD 45.36

184.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.83 MKD 45.02

128.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.60 MKD 32.66

98.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.56 MKD 30.51

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.74 MKD 150

9.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$5.29 MKD 289

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.94 MKD 51.1

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.19 MKD 65.1

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.76 MKD 41.61

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.06 MKD 57.7

-27.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.62 MKD 33.62

-62.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$7.69 MKD 420

-42.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.62 MKD 88.2

-19.14%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$35.0K MKD 1.9M

-39.31%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.0K MKD 1.5M

-29.10%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$150 MKD 8,164

-19.67%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$12.60 MKD 687

11.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$18.22 MKD 994

51.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$20.21 MKD 1,102

59.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.38 MKD 403

-23.44%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$361 MKD 19.7K

-23.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,568 MKD 303.7K

42.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$84.2 MKD 4,590

-41.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$37.11 MKD 2,025

-31.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$99.8 MKD 5,444

-22.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$89.6 MKD 4,889

-36.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$307 MKD 16.7K

62.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$233 MKD 12.7K

32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$495 MKD 27.0K

117.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$294 MKD 16.1K

108.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,478 MKD 80.6K

95.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$969 MKD 52.9K

97.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$641 MKD 35.0K

-46.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

80.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Strumica: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Strumica

$233 27.3% 24.5% $76

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Strumica

$177 20.7% 14% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Strumica

$180 21.1% 11.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Strumica

$140 16.4% 48.8% $46

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Strumica

$82 9.6% 6.7% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Strumica

$35 4.1% 19.8% $8.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Strumica

$7.2 * 0.8% 53.8% $8.4

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 Strumica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strumica pays 85% 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 $23.00 in Strumica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $177 per month, with Strumica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇰 Strumica

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

07:47 7:47 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

36,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Strumica 10,170 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Strumica

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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Strumica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Strumica. 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 $307 in Strumica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $855 in Strumica – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Strumica gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Strumica 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 Strumica 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 Strumica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.