Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Zawiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Zawiya: $441 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Zawiya
Learn more

Zawiya Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Zawiya

🇱🇾 Libya

$441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Zawiya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $441 in Zawiya.

Cebu $918
Zawiya $441

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $685 in Zawiya.

Cebu $1,409
Zawiya $685

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $929 in Zawiya.

Cebu $1,900
Zawiya $929

Living in Cebu is roughly 108% more expensive than in Zawiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Zawiya 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.39 LYD 15.32

29.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$15.64 LYD 100

54.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.68 LYD 17.16

46.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.45 LYD 2.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.80

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$0.42 LYD 2.68

497.62%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.41 LYD 2.63

287.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.12 LYD 0.80

341.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.92 LYD 5.90

108.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.20 LYD 1.28

580.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.98 LYD 6.26

3.06%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.35 LYD 8.65

50.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$4.65 LYD 29.77

112.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.58 LYD 22.97

22.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$8.99 LYD 57.6

-15.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.94 LYD 12.46

70.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.44 LYD 9.21

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.68 LYD 4.38

242.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.50 LYD 3.18

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.62 LYD 3.96

280.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.28 LYD 1.80

578.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.30 LYD 1.92

296.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.18 LYD 1.18

250.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 LYD 4.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LYD 4.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.72 LYD 11.03

74.42%

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

$0.80 LYD 5.13

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$39.03 LYD 250

-67.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.76 LYD 4.84

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.49 LYD 3.13

-53.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.38 LYD 15.25

87.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.02 LYD 0.13

6450.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$15.2K LYD 97.4K

39.76%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$16.5K LYD 105.4K

16.37%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$94.2 LYD 603

27.67%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$5.59 LYD 35.80

150.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$12.12 LYD 77.7

127.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$16.94 LYD 109

90.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$3.84 LYD 24.61

73.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.78 LYD 24.25

49.47%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$52.5 LYD 337

424.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$879 LYD 5,630

801.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$20.92 LYD 134

135.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$44.60 LYD 286

-43.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$31.29 LYD 200

145.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$30.69 LYD 197

86.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$89.2 LYD 572

459.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$58.3 LYD 373

429.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$167 LYD 1,072

543.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$120 LYD 766

414.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$349 LYD 2,238

726.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$95.9 LYD 614

1898.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$244 LYD 1,566

41.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Zawiya

$58 13.2% 81.1% $251

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Zawiya

$109 24.7% 47.2% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Zawiya

$112 25.4% 30.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Zawiya

$57 13% 38.9% $37

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Zawiya

$34 7.8% 61.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Zawiya

$25 5.6% 43.8% $19

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Zawiya

$45 10.3% 192% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $89.2 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 42% 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 $16.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $109 per month, with Zawiya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇾 Zawiya

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

318,726

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, 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).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Zawiya 11,300 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Zawiya

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 Zawiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zawiya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $89.2 in Zawiya. 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 $441 in Zawiya – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zawiya runs roughly 209% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Zawiya gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Zawiya 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 Zawiya 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 Zawiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.