Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Tomsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,068 in Tomsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Tomsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,068
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Tomsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,068 in Tomsk.

  • Cebu $934
  • Tomsk $1,068

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,648 in Tomsk.

  • Cebu $1,415
  • Tomsk $1,648

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,227 in Tomsk.

  • Cebu $1,896
  • Tomsk $2,227

Living in Cebu costs roughly 13% less than in Tomsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Tomsk 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ₱190
$7.50 ₽638
-59.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48 ₱1,473
$29.48 ₽2,509
-20.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.09 ₱256
$6.42 ₽546
-36.29%
Cappuccino
$2.52 ₱158
$2.12 ₽181
18.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱96.9
$0.86 ₽73.2
79.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₱30.98
$0.43 ₽36.62
13.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.79 ₱112
$1.08 ₽91.6
65.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₱142
$3.27 ₽278
-30.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱122
$1.20 ₽102
62.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ₱89.7
$0.70 ₽59.9
104.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ₱63.8
$0.95 ₽80.5
7.37%
Eggs
$2.06 ₱129
$1.32 ₽112
56.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.81 ₱615
$11.45 ₽974
-14.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.61 ₱289
$4.50 ₽383
2.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.70 ₱483
$9.50 ₽808
-18.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱207
$1.64 ₽139
101.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ₱90.9
$1.96 ₽167
-26.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$2.11 ₽179
11.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 ₱96.4
$2.77 ₽235
-44.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱148
$0.41 ₽34.80
475.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 ₱125
$0.34 ₽29.27
485.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 ₱72.1
$1.68 ₽143
-31.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.15
$0.51 ₽42.98
31.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱188
$2.76 ₽235
8.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 ₱398
$5.71 ₽486
11.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₱81.9
$0.93 ₽79.5
40.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱108
$1.66 ₽141
4.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.78
$0.46 ₽39.17
-45.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.65 ₱793
$8.35 ₽711
51.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.74 ₱46.32
$2.33 ₽199
-68.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.11
$0.28 ₽23.74
-25.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.33 ₱271
$7.03 ₽598
-38.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ₱83.5
$0.77 ₽65.5
72.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₱1.4M
$35.1K ₽3.0M
-38.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$31.2K ₽2.7M
-37.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 ₱7,563
$167 ₽14.2K
-27.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45 ₱907
$8.06 ₽686
79.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29 ₱1,774
$12.77 ₽1,087
121.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.68 ₱2,050
$36.73 ₽3,126
-11.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39 ₱401
$16.05 ₽1,366
-60.19%
Cinema Ticket
$5.46 ₱342
$4.66 ₽396
17.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 ₱17.1K
$234 ₽19.9K
16.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,156 ₱511.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57 ₱3,109
$114 ₽9,732
-56.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87 ₱1,560
$71.6 ₽6,095
-65.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,804
$165 ₽14.1K
-53.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3 ₱3,717
$120 ₽10.2K
-50.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$506 ₱31.7K
$486 ₽41.4K
4.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$322 ₽27.4K
-3.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 ₱66.0K
$788 ₽67.1K
33.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$619 ₱38.8K
$630 ₽53.6K
-1.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,915 ₱182.9K
$2,041 ₽173.7K
42.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,867 ₱117.1K
$1,430 ₽121.7K
30.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Tomsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 ₱21.4K
$885 ₽75.3K
-61.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
22
-67.27%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Tomsk
$322 3.9% $12
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Tomsk
$190 9.8% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163
Tomsk
$187 14.8% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95
Tomsk
$212 124% $118
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Tomsk
$122 37.8% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Tomsk
$46 5.6% $2.4
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Tomsk
$14 9.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $486 in Tomsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tomsk pays 160% 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 $29.00 in Tomsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $190, with Tomsk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇷🇺 Tomsk
🕒 Local time
18:25 6:25 PM
17:25 5:25 PM
1 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
551,505
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Tomsk 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Tomsk

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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tomsk cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Tomsk?
On paper, salaries run 160% lower in Tomsk. 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 Tomsk?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $486 in Tomsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Tomsk?
All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,068 in Tomsk – a 14% 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 51% less than in Tomsk. 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 Tomsk?
At $934 in Cebu versus $1,068 in Tomsk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Tomsk. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Tomsk more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tomsk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Tomsk?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Tomsk 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 14% less than in Tomsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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