Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Varna

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,411 in Varna, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Varna
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Varna Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Varna

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Varna

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,411 in Varna.

Cebu $934
Varna $1,411

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,231 in Varna.

Cebu $1,415
Varna $2,231

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $3,050 in Varna.

Cebu $1,896
Varna $3,050

Living in Cebu costs roughly 34% less than in Varna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Varna is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$12.63 BGN 22.11

-76.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$60.3 BGN 106

-61.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$10.49 BGN 18.36

-61.01%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.93 BGN 5.12

-13.99%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$1.95 BGN 3.42

-21.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$1.60 BGN 2.79

-69.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.90 BGN 5.07

-38.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.55 BGN 6.21

-36.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$1.24 BGN 2.18

15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$2.67 BGN 4.68

-61.80%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.46 BGN 6.06

-40.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$11.47 BGN 20.08

-14.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$9.37 BGN 16.40

-50.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$13.95 BGN 24.41

-44.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.93 BGN 3.39

71.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$2.09 BGN 3.66

-30.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.14 BGN 3.75

10.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$2.87 BGN 5.03

-46.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.26 BGN 2.21

87.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.04 BGN 1.81

91.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$1.05 BGN 1.85

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$0.78 BGN 1.36

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.92 BGN 6.86

-23.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

$8.58 BGN 15.01

-25.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.21 BGN 2.12

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.90 BGN 3.32

-8.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

$0.93 BGN 1.63

-73.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

$29.12 BGN 51.0

-56.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

$1.54 BGN 2.70

-51.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-75.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

$12.18 BGN 21.32

-64.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.75 BGN 3.06

-24.00%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$29.6K BGN 51.8K

-26.50%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$25.9K BGN 45.2K

-24.97%

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

$121 ₱7,583

$173 BGN 302

-30.24%

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

$14.45 ₱909

$21.09 BGN 36.91

-31.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$16.09 BGN 28.17

75.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$51.4 BGN 89.9

-36.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

$19.87 BGN 34.78

-67.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

$8.75 BGN 15.31

-37.60%

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

$273 ₱17.2K

$508 BGN 890

-46.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

$6,188 BGN 10.8K

31.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

$65.1 BGN 114

-23.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

$33.76 BGN 59.1

-26.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

$98.3 BGN 172

-22.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

$101 BGN 177

-41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$636 BGN 1,112

-20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$471 BGN 825

-34.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$1,348 BGN 2,358

-21.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$918 BGN 1,606

-32.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

$3,051 BGN 5,339

-4.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$2,166 BGN 3,791

-13.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$1,263 BGN 2,211

-73.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.85

152.63%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Varna: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Varna

$471 33.7% 52.4% $162

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Varna

$271 19.4% 29% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Varna

$210 15% 28.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Varna

$134 9.6% 41.9% $40

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Varna

$203 14.6% 130% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Varna

$69 4.9% 58% $25

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Varna

$39 2.8% 150% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $636 in Varna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varna pays 270% 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 $60.0 in Varna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $271 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇬 Varna

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

348,058

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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 = 70.47 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Varna 9,700 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Varna

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 Varna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 270% lower in Varna. 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 $636 in Varna. 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 $1,411 in Varna – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 130% less than in Varna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,411 in Varna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Varna. 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 Varna, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Varna 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 51% less than in Varna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.