Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Zakho

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $759 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
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Zakho Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Zakho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $759 in Zakho.

Cebu $915
Zakho $759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,210 in Zakho.

Cebu $1,418
Zakho $1,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,661 in Zakho.

Cebu $1,921
Zakho $1,661

Living in Cebu is roughly 21% more expensive than in Zakho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Zakho 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$6.52 IQD 9,855

-53.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

-34.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

-43.64%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$3.38 IQD 5,101

-26.04%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.90 IQD 1,356

71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.36 IQD 550

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.36 IQD 8,101

-66.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$4.06 IQD 6,130

-46.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.07 IQD 1,613

86.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.67 IQD 1,019

104.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.47 IQD 2,221

-29.93%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.52 IQD 2,290

33.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$7.21 IQD 10.9K

41.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$4.32 IQD 6,524

3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$12.87 IQD 19.4K

-40.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$0.97 IQD 1,463

241.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$0.95 IQD 1,437

53.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.02 IQD 1,543

127.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$0.69 IQD 1,046

115.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.59 IQD 895

296.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.58 IQD 874

234.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.66 IQD 997

75.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.51 IQD 777

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.11 IQD 3,189

41.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$10.84 IQD 16.4K

-42.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.45 IQD 2,197

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.84 IQD 2,782

-5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.39 IQD 594

-41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$20.25 IQD 30.6K

-39.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$1.64 IQD 2,474

-51.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.60 IQD 2,418

-86.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$5.53 IQD 8,350

-17.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.57 IQD 863

131.58%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

25.56%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

11.84%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$113 IQD 170.8K

4.85%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$11.83 IQD 17.9K

20.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

14.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$37.45 IQD 56.6K

-13.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$9.95 IQD 15.0K

-45.73%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$313 IQD 473.3K

-11.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$2,762 IQD 4.2M

184.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

87.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$19.70 IQD 29.8K

24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$49.08 IQD 74.2K

56.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$40.75 IQD 61.6K

44.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$172 IQD 260.4K

192.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$132 IQD 199.9K

130.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$379 IQD 572.2K

183.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$308 IQD 466.0K

104.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$711 IQD 1.1M

303.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$576 IQD 870.1K

226.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$660 IQD 997.7K

-49.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.53

184.58%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zakho: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Zakho

$132 17.4% 56.6% $172

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Zakho

$174 22.9% 17.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Zakho

$149 19.6% 7.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Zakho

$61 8.1% 35.2% $33

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Zakho

$154 20.3% 75.4% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Zakho

$57 7.6% 33.1% $14

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Zakho

$31 4.2% 108% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $172 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Zakho. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $174, with Zakho cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇶 Zakho

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

03:12 3:12 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

197,163

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Zakho 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Zakho

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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakho is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Zakho. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $172 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $759 in Zakho – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zakho runs roughly 64% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Zakho 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Zakho 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 Zakho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.