Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Zagazig

For one person, living is cheaper in Zagazig: $369 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Zagazig
🇪🇬 Egypt
$369
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Zagazig

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $369 in Zagazig.

  • Cebu $918
  • Zagazig $369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $613 in Zagazig.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Zagazig $613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $857 in Zagazig.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Zagazig $857

Living in Cebu is roughly 149% more expensive than in Zagazig, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Zagazig 73% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱195
$3.83 E£205
-19.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,526
$15.11 E£808
60.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$5.17 E£277
-24.18%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$0.91 E£48.46
175.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.27 E£14.38
488.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.47
$0.15 E£7.86
253.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.48 E£79.3
20.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$2.24 E£120
-3.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.71 E£37.98
170.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.5
$0.29 E£15.61
368.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.6
$0.58 E£31.19
74.14%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.17 E£62.5
73.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱622
$3.83 E£205
157.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$4.13 E£221
6.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$7.79 E£416
-2.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$1.36 E£72.8
142.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.9
$0.71 E£38.15
95.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$0.36 E£19.33
547.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.4
$0.22 E£11.76
581.82%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.38 E£20.41
521.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱120
$0.39 E£20.84
387.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱75.0
$0.08 E£4.53
1387.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.75
$0.21 E£11.21
200.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$2.04 E£109
47.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱380
$7.53 E£403
-19.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.8
$1.56 E£83.6
-21.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.11 E£113
-17.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.88
$0.14 E£7.37
78.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$5.57 E£298
126.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.67
$0.17 E£8.93
352.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.55
$0.19 E£10.05
21.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$1.55 E£83.0
187.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.9
$0.41 E£22.00
219.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$31.8K E£1.7M
-33.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$28.3K E£1.5M
-32.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,577
$14.52 E£776
728.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱883
$4.99 E£267
180.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,736
$10.52 E£562
161.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,037
$9.95 E£532
224.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$1.96 E£104
188.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.4K
$123 E£6,564
124.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱499.1K
$3,580 E£191.3K
121.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,109
$19.04 E£1,018
159.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,591
$51.0 E£2,723
-50.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,851
$114 E£6,117
-32.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,605
$17.29 E£924
230.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.5K
$38.55 E£2,060
701.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.8K
$95.3 E£5,092
545.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.8K
$282 E£15.1K
578.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Zagazig
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$157 E£8,406
119.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
10
-28.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zagazig: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Zagazig
$39 87.5% $270
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Zagazig
$118 42.6% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Zagazig
$30 81.4% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Zagazig
$91 3.3% $3.1
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Zagazig
$71 20% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Zagazig
$14 68.2% $30
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Zagazig
$7.2 53.6% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 120% 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 $15.00 in Zagazig for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $118 per month, with Zagazig cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇪🇬 Zagazig
🕒 Local time
06:46 6:46 AM
01:46 1:46 AM
5 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
285,097
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 63.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.66 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.44 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 59.91 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Zagazig 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Zagazig

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 Zagazig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zagazig cheaper than Cebu?
Zagazig is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Zagazig?
Average pay runs 120% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Zagazig?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $369 in Zagazig – a 149% 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 Zagazig runs roughly 127% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $800 enough for either Cebu or Zagazig?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Zagazig gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Zagazig more family-friendly?
For families, Zagazig 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Zagazig?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Zagazig 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 Zagazig gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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