Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Szeged

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,227 in Szeged, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Szeged
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,227
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Szeged

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,227 in Szeged.

  • Cebu $918
  • Szeged $1,227

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,912 in Szeged.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Szeged $1,912

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,596 in Szeged.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Szeged $2,596

Living in Cebu costs roughly 25% less than in Szeged, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Szeged 9% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$8.98 Ft 2,902
-65.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$57.4 Ft 18.5K
-57.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$9.34 Ft 3,018
-58.03%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.41 Ft 777
4.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$1.56 Ft 504
1.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$1.33 Ft 429
-60.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$2.33 Ft 754
-23.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.22 Ft 717
-2.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.22 Ft 393
57.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.37 Ft 441
-0.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$2.42 Ft 781
-58.26%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$3.56 Ft 1,150
-42.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$10.46 Ft 3,378
-5.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$6.41 Ft 2,070
-31.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$16.40 Ft 5,298
-53.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$2.28 Ft 737
44.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.21 Ft 716
-37.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$2.05 Ft 662
13.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$3.35 Ft 1,082
-55.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.98 Ft 317
140.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.04 Ft 336
82.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$1.66 Ft 537
-28.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.52 Ft 167
21.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$8.04 Ft 2,599
-62.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$5.45 Ft 1,760
10.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.26 Ft 407
-2.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$1.99 Ft 643
-12.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$1.63 Ft 527
-84.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$29.42 Ft 9,505
-57.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$3.02 Ft 975
-74.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.65 Ft 533
-86.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$18.15 Ft 5,864
-75.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.90 Ft 615
-31.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$29.5K Ft 9.5M
-27.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$37.9K Ft 12.2M
-49.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$127 Ft 40.9K
-5.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$21.61 Ft 6,981
-35.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$20.17 Ft 6,515
36.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$46.93 Ft 15.2K
-31.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$29.12 Ft 9,409
-77.16%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$8.59 Ft 2,775
-34.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$248 Ft 80.2K
10.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$6,658 Ft 2.2M
18.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$114 Ft 36.9K
-56.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$32.26 Ft 10.4K
-21.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$94.2 Ft 30.4K
-18.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$114 Ft 36.7K
-49.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$523 Ft 168.9K
-4.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$380 Ft 122.9K
-18.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$761 Ft 245.8K
41.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$603 Ft 194.7K
2.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$3,103 Ft 1.0M
-6.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$2,320 Ft 749.4K
-17.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Szeged
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$1,234 Ft 398.7K
-71.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
6.67
7.95%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Szeged: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Szeged
$380 23.1% $71
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Szeged
$251 21.9% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Szeged
$169 4.2% $6.8
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Szeged
$159 69.6% $65
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Szeged
$156 77.2% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Szeged
$64 47% $20
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Szeged
$47 203% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $523 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 257% 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 $57.0 in Szeged 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
🇭🇺 Szeged
🕒 Local time
02:28 2:28 AM
20:28 8:28 PM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
157,930
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Szeged 10,220 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Szeged

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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Szeged cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Szeged?
On paper, salaries run 257% lower in Szeged. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Szeged?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $523 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Szeged?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,227 in Szeged – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 133% less than in Szeged. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Szeged?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,227 in Szeged, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Szeged. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Szeged more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Szeged, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Szeged?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Szeged are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Szeged. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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