Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Timisoara

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,155 in Timisoara, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Timisoara
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Timisoara Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Timisoara

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,155

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Timisoara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,155 in Timisoara.

Cebu $934
Timisoara $1,155

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,763 in Timisoara.

Cebu $1,415
Timisoara $1,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,371 in Timisoara.

Cebu $1,896
Timisoara $2,371

Living in Cebu costs roughly 19% less than in Timisoara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Timisoara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$10.66 RON 50.8

-71.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$47.11 RON 225

-50.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$8.58 RON 40.91

-52.33%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.98 RON 14.20

-15.44%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$2.13 RON 10.17

-27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$1.62 RON 7.74

-69.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.67 RON 12.75

-32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.23 RON 20.14

-46.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.38 RON 6.56

41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.21 RON 5.76

18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$1.31 RON 6.26

-22.14%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.97 RON 14.18

-30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$8.63 RON 41.13

13.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$6.11 RON 29.14

-24.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$10.99 RON 52.4

-29.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.13 RON 5.39

192.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$1.46 RON 6.96

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.45 RON 6.93

62.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$2.38 RON 11.35

-35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.79 RON 3.76

198.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.98 RON 4.65

103.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$0.65 RON 3.11

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.73 RON 3.47

-8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.12 RON 29.18

-50.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$7.23 RON 34.47

-12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.13 RON 5.38

15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.71 RON 8.13

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$1.06 RON 5.05

-76.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$33.86 RON 161

-62.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$0.82 RON 3.90

-9.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.82 RON 3.90

-74.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$8.32 RON 39.67

-47.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.94 RON 9.25

-31.44%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$28.6K RON 136.2K

-23.85%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$24.3K RON 115.6K

-20.05%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$168 RON 801

-28.26%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$6.72 RON 32.01

115.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$8.34 RON 39.74

239.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$38.65 RON 184

-15.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$16.17 RON 77.0

-60.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$7.94 RON 37.82

-31.23%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$598 RON 2,852

-54.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$8,769 RON 41.8K

-6.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$75.0 RON 358

-33.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$39.30 RON 187

-36.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$75.5 RON 360

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$90.4 RON 431

-34.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$547 RON 2,608

-7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$360 RON 1,717

-14.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$840 RON 4,005

25.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$611 RON 2,911

1.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$2,495 RON 11.9K

16.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$1,863 RON 8,880

0.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$1,183 RON 5,639

-71.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.88

4.65%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Timisoara: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Timisoara

$360 31.2% 16.4% $51

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Timisoara

$204 17.7% 3.2% $6.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Timisoara

$183 15.9% 12.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Timisoara

$126 10.9% 33.3% $31

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Timisoara

$184 15.9% 108% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Timisoara

$55 4.7% 25.1% $11

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Timisoara

$43 3.7% 179% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $547 in Timisoara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timisoara pays 247% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $47.00 in Timisoara. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $204, with Timisoara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇷🇴 Timisoara

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

07:50 7:50 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

319,279

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Timisoara 10,150 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Timisoara

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 Timisoara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 247% lower in Timisoara. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $547 in Timisoara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,155 in Timisoara – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 168% less than in Timisoara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,155 in Timisoara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Timisoara. 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 Timisoara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Timisoara 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 24% less than in Timisoara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.