Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Zenica

For one person, living is cheaper in Zenica: $850 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Zenica
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Zenica Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Zenica

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Zenica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $850 in Zenica.

Cebu $918
Zenica $850

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,245 in Zenica.

Cebu $1,409
Zenica $1,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,639 in Zenica.

Cebu $1,900
Zenica $1,639

Living in Cebu is roughly 8% more expensive than in Zenica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Zenica 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$6.98 BAM 12.19

-55.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,520

$18.26 BAM 31.88

32.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱246

$4.09 BAM 7.14

-4.16%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱157

$1.59 BAM 2.78

57.86%

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

$1.59 ₱99.9

$1.69 BAM 2.96

-5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.33

$1.23 BAM 2.16

-56.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.99 BAM 3.47

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.01 BAM 3.52

7.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱120

$1.27 BAM 2.22

51.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.2

$0.94 BAM 1.64

44.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.3

$1.73 BAM 3.01

-41.62%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱127

$2.70 BAM 4.72

-24.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱619

$7.58 BAM 13.23

30.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱276

$7.07 BAM 12.34

-37.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱477

$12.55 BAM 21.90

-39.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.35 BAM 2.35

144.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$1.59 BAM 2.78

-12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$1.55 BAM 2.71

50.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.0

$1.76 BAM 3.07

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.01 BAM 1.77

133.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.22 BAM 2.14

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.7

$0.58 BAM 1.01

105.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.59

$0.70 BAM 1.23

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.35 BAM 5.85

-10.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱378

$5.58 BAM 9.75

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$0.85 BAM 1.48

44.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$0.99 BAM 1.74

76.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.81

$0.90 BAM 1.57

-72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱793

$31.58 BAM 55.1

-59.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.47

$1.54 BAM 2.69

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.49

$0.87 BAM 1.52

-73.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱280

$8.73 BAM 15.24

-48.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.5

$1.50 BAM 2.61

-12.67%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$30.7K BAM 53.5K

-30.70%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.7K BAM 37.9K

-11.73%

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

$120 ₱7,547

$161 BAM 281

-25.31%

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

$14.00 ₱879

$18.28 BAM 31.91

-23.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,729

$23.97 BAM 41.83

14.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,029

$24.06 BAM 41.99

34.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱417

$14.24 BAM 24.86

-53.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱355

$4.50 BAM 7.86

25.56%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$134 BAM 235

104.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱497.0K

$3,848 BAM 6,716

105.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,097

$50.4 BAM 87.9

-2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,585

$30.31 BAM 52.9

-16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,831

$92.8 BAM 162

-17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,590

$86.9 BAM 152

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.4K

$191 BAM 334

161.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$142 BAM 248

117.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.7K

$267 BAM 467

302.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.6K

$200 BAM 349

207.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.2K

$1,584 BAM 2,764

82.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.3K

$1,280 BAM 2,235

49.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.7K

$653 BAM 1,140

-47.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

140.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zenica: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Zenica

$142 16.7% 54% $167

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Zenica

$201 23.6% 2.6% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Zenica

$203 23.9% 25.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Zenica

$117 13.8% 24.7% $23

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Zenica

$113 13.3% 27.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Zenica

$33 3.9% 24.2% $11

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Zenica

$41 4.8% 164% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $191 in Zenica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zenica pays 89% 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 $18.00 in Zenica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $201 per month, with Zenica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇧🇦 Zenica

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

70,533

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 62.77 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.33 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Zenica 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Zenica

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 Zenica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zenica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Zenica. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $191 in Zenica. 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 $850 in Zenica – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zenica runs roughly 150% 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 Zenica gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Zenica 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 Zenica 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 Zenica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.