Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Zahlah

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $997 in Zahlah, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Zahlah despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Zahlah
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Zahlah Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Zahlah

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Zahlah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $997 in Zahlah.

Cebu $918
Zahlah $997

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,599 in Zahlah.

Cebu $1,409
Zahlah $1,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,201 in Zahlah.

Cebu $1,900
Zahlah $2,201

Living in Cebu costs roughly 8% less than in Zahlah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Zahlah 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$11.97 LBP 1.1M

-74.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$69.5 LBP 6.2M

-65.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.85 LBP 881.9K

-60.20%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.50 LBP 402.9K

-44.22%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.40 LBP 214.6K

-33.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$0.91 LBP 81.3K

-41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.01 LBP 448.5K

-64.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.83 LBP 432.6K

-55.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.94 LBP 173.8K

-1.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.87 LBP 77.6K

56.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$2.24 LBP 200.7K

-54.91%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.55 LBP 317.8K

-42.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.24 LBP 1.0M

-12.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$10.46 LBP 935.8K

-58.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$14.81 LBP 1.3M

-48.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.01 LBP 269.1K

9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.65 LBP 147.4K

-15.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.62 LBP 144.8K

43.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.48 LBP 132.1K

1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.26 LBP 112.9K

87.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.61 LBP 143.7K

18.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.16 LBP 104.2K

2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.71 LBP 63.8K

-11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.93 LBP 262.0K

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

-44.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.27 LBP 113.3K

-3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.47 LBP 220.9K

-29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

-84.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$2.24 LBP 200.1K

-89.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$22.27 LBP 2.0M

-79.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

25.96%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$54.2K LBP 4.8B

-60.79%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

-40.73%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$233 LBP 20.9M

-48.49%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$22.43 LBP 2.0M

-37.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$37.64 LBP 3.4M

-26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$9.81 LBP 878.1K

-42.41%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$675 LBP 60.4M

-59.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$10.5K LBP 936.1M

-24.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$67.0 LBP 6.0M

-26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$48.56 LBP 4.3M

-48.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$138 LBP 12.3M

-44.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$119 LBP 10.6M

-51.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-34.55%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Zahlah

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Zahlah

$274 27.4% 32.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Zahlah

$294 29.4% 81.4% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Zahlah

$167 16.8% 78.3% $74

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Zahlah

$227 22.8% 158% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Zahlah

$20 * 2% 55% $24

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Zahlah

$16 * 1.6% 3% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $70.0 in Zahlah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $274 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇧 Zahlah

🕒 Local time

03:52 3:52 AM

22:52 10:52 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

78,145

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Zahlah 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Zahlah

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 Zahlah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,496 in Zahlah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Zahlah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $997 in Zahlah – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Zahlah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Zahlah 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 9% less than in Zahlah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.