Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,182 in Umluj, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
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Umluj Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Umluj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,182 in Umluj.

Cebu $918
Umluj $1,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,758 in Umluj.

Cebu $1,409
Umluj $1,758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,333 in Umluj.

Cebu $1,900
Umluj $2,333

Living in Cebu costs roughly 22% less than in Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Umluj 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$5.97 SAR 22.41

-48.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$37.58 SAR 141

-35.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$8.20 SAR 30.76

-52.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.26 SAR 12.23

-23.01%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.84 SAR 3.14

89.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.26 SAR 0.98

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.68 SAR 6.30

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.31 SAR 4.91

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.38 SAR 8.92

-57.56%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.40 SAR 9.00

-15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$7.60 SAR 28.54

29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$7.66 SAR 28.76

-42.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$13.06 SAR 48.99

-41.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.23 SAR 8.39

47.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.65 SAR 6.20

41.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.17 SAR 4.40

101.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.32 SAR 4.96

43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.26 SAR 4.73

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.58 SAR 2.17

8.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.57 SAR 24.65

-54.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.09 SAR 4.10

-77.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$36.82 SAR 138

-65.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$2.63 SAR 9.86

-70.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.85 SAR 6.93

-87.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$13.56 SAR 50.9

-67.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.65 SAR 2.43

101.54%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$44.5K SAR 167.0K

-52.25%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

-11.15%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$102 SAR 383

17.84%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$32.15 SAR 121

-56.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$66.5 SAR 250

-58.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$81.2 SAR 305

-60.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$13.16 SAR 49.37

-57.07%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$428 SAR 1,608

-35.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$8,089 SAR 30.4K

-2.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$41.94 SAR 157

17.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$54.3 SAR 204

-53.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$98.1 SAR 368

-21.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$85.9 SAR 322

-33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$581 SAR 2,180

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$375 SAR 1,409

-17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$810 SAR 3,039

33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$578 SAR 2,171

6.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,332 SAR 8,752

23.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,372 SAR 5,150

39.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$4,243 SAR 15.9K

-91.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.54

29.96%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Umluj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Umluj

$376 31.8% 21.6% $67

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Umluj

$204 17.2% 1.1% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Umluj

$201 17% 24.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Umluj

$126 10.7% 34.3% $32

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Umluj

$116 9.8% 31.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Umluj

$108 9.1% 146% $64

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Umluj

$53 4.5% 241% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $581 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 1127% 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 $38.00 in Umluj. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $204, with Umluj cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇦 Umluj

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

37,757

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Umluj 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Umluj

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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1127% lower in Umluj. 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 $581 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,182 in Umluj – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 191% less than in Umluj. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,182 in Umluj, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Umluj. 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 Umluj, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Umluj 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 29% less than in Umluj. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.