Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sunny Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,038 in Sunny Beach, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Sunny Beach
Learn more

Sunny Beach Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sunny Beach

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sunny Beach

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,038 in Sunny Beach.

Cebu $918
Sunny Beach $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,578 in Sunny Beach.

Cebu $1,409
Sunny Beach $1,578

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,117 in Sunny Beach.

Cebu $1,900
Sunny Beach $2,117

Living in Cebu costs roughly 12% less than in Sunny Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Sunny Beach 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$8.39 BGN 14.68

-63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,521

$44.87 BGN 78.5

-46.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱246

$9.63 BGN 16.85

-59.29%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱157

$2.86 BGN 5.01

-12.24%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-8.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.36

$1.56 BGN 2.73

-66.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.31 BGN 4.05

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.73 BGN 3.03

25.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.76 BGN 3.08

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.2

$0.75 BGN 1.31

81.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.4

$2.18 BGN 3.81

-53.67%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱127

$3.69 BGN 6.46

-44.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱620

$8.40 BGN 14.70

17.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱276

$8.56 BGN 14.99

-48.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱478

$14.28 BGN 24.99

-46.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.70 BGN 2.97

94.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.6

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-21.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.91 BGN 3.34

21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.1

$2.63 BGN 4.60

-42.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.07 BGN 1.88

120.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.05 BGN 1.84

80.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.7

$1.16 BGN 2.03

2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.62

$0.71 BGN 1.24

-11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.10 BGN 7.17

-26.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$6.27 BGN 10.98

-3.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.5

$1.13 BGN 1.97

8.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.06 BGN 3.60

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$1.13 BGN 1.98

-77.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱794

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.51

$1.27 BGN 2.22

-39.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.50

$0.65 BGN 1.13

-64.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱280

$10.32 BGN 18.06

-56.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.6

$1.58 BGN 2.76

-17.09%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.6K BGN 51.8K

-28.16%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$24.4K BGN 42.7K

-21.58%

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

$120 ₱7,553

$114 BGN 200

5.25%

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

$14.00 ₱880

$18.46 BGN 32.31

-24.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,730

$15.66 BGN 27.41

75.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱418

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱355

$8.90 BGN 15.57

-36.52%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$519 BGN 907

-46.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱497.4K

$5,550 BGN 9,713

42.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,099

$33.86 BGN 59.3

45.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,586

$41.32 BGN 72.3

-38.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,835

$95.8 BGN 168

-19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,593

$103 BGN 181

-44.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.4K

$565 BGN 989

-11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$341 BGN 597

-9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.7K

$679 BGN 1,188

58.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$513 BGN 898

19.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.3K

$1,328 BGN 2,323

117.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.4K

$1,135 BGN 1,987

68.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.7K

$920 BGN 1,611

-62.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.1

132.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sunny Beach

$341 32.9% 10.4% $32

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sunny Beach

$240 23.1% 16.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sunny Beach

$148 14.3% 8.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sunny Beach

$123 11.9% 31.4% $30

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sunny Beach

$159 15.3% 79.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sunny Beach

$18 * 1.7% 59.2% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sunny Beach

$9 * 0.9% 42.1% $6.6

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 $565 in Sunny Beach. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunny Beach pays 166% 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 $45.00 in Sunny Beach for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $240 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇬 Sunny Beach

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

23:34 11:34 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

13,347

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 62.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.39 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Sunny Beach 9,730 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sunny Beach

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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Sunny Beach. 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 $565 in Sunny Beach. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Sunny Beach. 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 $1,038 in Sunny Beach – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,038 in Sunny Beach, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sunny Beach. 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 Sunny Beach, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sunny Beach 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 13% less than in Sunny Beach. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.