Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Timika

For one person, living is cheaper in Timika: $618 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Timika
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Timika Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Timika

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Timika

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $618 in Timika.

Cebu $934
Timika $618

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $978 in Timika.

Cebu $1,415
Timika $978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,337 in Timika.

Cebu $1,896
Timika $1,337

Living in Cebu is roughly 51% more expensive than in Timika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Timika 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$1.70 Rp 30.4K

78.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$13.73 Rp 245.6K

71.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$3.25 Rp 58.2K

25.85%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

70.27%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$0.42 Rp 7,522

266.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.23 Rp 4,109

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

-24.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.50 Rp 62.6K

-35.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

68.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.06 Rp 18.9K

34.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

17.24%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

40.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$7.23 Rp 129.3K

35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$2.90 Rp 51.9K

58.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$7.40 Rp 132.3K

4.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

51.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.65 Rp 29.6K

43.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.28 Rp 23.0K

84.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.98 Rp 35.5K

0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

59.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.39 Rp 7,063

71.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

14.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$20.61 Rp 368.8K

-69.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

-29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.98 Rp 53.4K

-41.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.29 Rp 5,246

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$0.48 Rp 8,519

54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.35 Rp 6,173

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

54.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

68.35%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$23.0K Rp 410.7M

-5.19%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$31.0K Rp 553.9M

-37.35%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$65.1 Rp 1.2M

85.28%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$4.39 Rp 78.5K

229.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$19.32 Rp 345.7K

46.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$19.53 Rp 349.3K

67.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$8.13 Rp 145.5K

-21.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$2.76 Rp 49.4K

97.83%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

197.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$7,610 Rp 136.2M

7.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$44.09 Rp 788.8K

12.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$28.50 Rp 509.8K

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

3.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$71.2 Rp 1.3M

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$225 Rp 4.0M

124.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$148 Rp 2.7M

108.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$553 Rp 9.9M

90.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$357 Rp 6.4M

73.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$1,176 Rp 21.0M

147.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$812 Rp 14.5M

130.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.46

-23.89%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Timika: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Timika

$148 24% 52.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Timika

$193 31.2% 8.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Timika

$89 14.3% 45.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Timika

$98 15.8% 3.6% $3.4

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Timika

$63 10.1% 29.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Timika

$25 4.1% 42.5% $19

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Timika

$3.4 * 0.6% 78.2% $12

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 $506 in Cebu and $225 in Timika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $14.00 in Timika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $193 per month, with Timika cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Timika

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

1 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

142,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Timika 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Timika

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 Timika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timika is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $927 in Timika to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $225 in Timika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $618 in Timika – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Timika gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Timika 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 Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.