Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,151 in Sur, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Sur despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Sur
Learn more

Sur Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,151 in Sur.

Cebu $918
Sur $1,151

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,657 in Sur.

Cebu $1,409
Sur $1,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,163 in Sur.

Cebu $1,900
Sur $2,163

Living in Cebu costs roughly 20% less than in Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Sur 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.99 OMR 1.54

-22.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$26.52 OMR 10.21

-8.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.60 OMR 2.93

-48.42%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.98 OMR 1.92

-49.60%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.74 OMR 0.29

114.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.25 OMR 0.10

112.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$12.86 OMR 4.95

-86.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$13.11 OMR 5.05

-83.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.59 OMR 0.61

20.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.24 OMR 0.48

9.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.74 OMR 0.67

-41.95%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.96 OMR 0.75

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.43 OMR 2.86

32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.90 OMR 2.66

-36.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$8.96 OMR 3.45

-15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.31 OMR 0.89

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.34 OMR 0.52

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.07 OMR 0.41

117.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.80 OMR 0.31

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.76 OMR 0.29

210.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.53 OMR 0.20

258.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.52 OMR 0.59

-21.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.54 OMR 0.21

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.39 OMR 2.46

-53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$15.37 OMR 5.92

-60.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$5.90 OMR 2.27

-79.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$10.29 OMR 3.96

-82.99%

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

$3.34 OMR 1.29

-76.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.63 OMR 1.01

-91.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$7.60 OMR 2.93

-41.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.57 OMR 0.22

129.82%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$25.2K OMR 9,710

-15.77%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$22.3K OMR 8,603

-14.32%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$80.7 OMR 31.07

48.97%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$23.85 OMR 9.18

-41.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$69.6 OMR 26.81

-60.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$84.9 OMR 32.70

-61.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$10.47 OMR 4.03

-46.04%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$285 OMR 110

-3.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$6,440 OMR 2,479

22.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$56.3 OMR 21.67

-12.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$42.84 OMR 16.49

-41.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$89.5 OMR 34.47

-14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$86.4 OMR 33.26

-33.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$263 OMR 101

90.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$271 OMR 104

14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$473 OMR 182

127.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$387 OMR 149

59.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$562 OMR 217

413.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$529 OMR 204

261.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$2,638 OMR 1,015

-86.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.25

37.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sur

$271 23.5% 12.3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sur

$251 21.8% 22.1% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sur

$174 15.1% 7.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sur

$124 10.8% 31.8% $30

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sur

$209 18.2% 137% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sur

$106 9.2% 143% $62

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sur

$16 * 1.4% 5.8% $0.9

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 $263 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 662% 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 $27.00 in Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $251 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇴🇲 Sur

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

13:00 1:00 PM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

120,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sur 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sur

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 662% lower in Sur. 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 $263 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Sur. 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 $1,151 in Sur – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,151 in Sur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sur. 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 Sur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sur 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 25% less than in Sur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.