Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhanbad and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhanbad: $304 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Dhanbad
Learn more

Dhanbad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhanbad

🇮🇳 India

$304

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhanbad and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhanbad and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $304 in Dhanbad versus $918 in Cebu.

Dhanbad $304
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $482 in Dhanbad versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Dhanbad $482
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $659 in Dhanbad versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Dhanbad $659
Cebu $1,900

Living in Dhanbad costs roughly 67% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhanbad 77% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.54 ₹146

$3.09 ₱194

-50.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.53 ₹905

$24.22 ₱1,525

-60.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.21 ₹305

$3.92 ₱247

-18.11%

Cappuccino

$1.33 ₹126

$2.51 ₱158

-47.01%

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

$0.36 ₹34.10

$1.59 ₱100

-77.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.35

$0.53 ₱33.43

-75.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ₹182

$1.78 ₱112

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₹401

$2.17 ₱137

94.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 ₹54.7

$1.92 ₱121

-69.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₹40.62

$1.36 ₱85.4

-68.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.54 ₹50.9

$1.01 ₱63.5

-46.53%

Eggs

$0.90 ₹85.2

$2.03 ₱128

-55.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.57 ₹339

$9.86 ₱621

-63.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.27 ₹215

$4.39 ₱277

-48.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$3.30 ₱208

-57.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.2

$1.39 ₱87.8

-48.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹99.6

$2.33 ₱147

-54.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 ₹39.29

$1.50 ₱94.3

-72.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.21 ₹19.85

$2.36 ₱149

-91.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.82

$1.90 ₱119

-77.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.52

$1.19 ₱74.9

-60.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₹24.58

$0.63 ₱39.71

-58.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ₹479

$3.00 ₱189

68.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.06 ₹290

$6.03 ₱379

-49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹146

$1.23 ₱77.7

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₹200

$1.75 ₱110

20.00%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.55 ₹622

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₹18.99

$0.25 ₱15.86

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₹127

$0.77 ₱48.62

72.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.09 ₹8.59

$0.23 ₱14.53

-60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₹98.5

$4.46 ₱281

-76.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₹100

$1.31 ₱82.8

-19.08%

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

$8,382 ₹796.0K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-60.54%

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

$27.8K ₹2.6M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

45.37%

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

$45.69 ₹4,339

$120 ₱7,569

-62.00%

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

$2.83 ₹269

$14.00 ₱882

-79.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.31 ₹599

$27.54 ₱1,734

-77.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.29 ₹1,073

$32.33 ₱2,035

-65.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₹607

$6.65 ₱419

-3.91%

Cinema Ticket

$2.58 ₹245

$5.65 ₱356

-54.34%

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

$29.84 ₹2,833

$275 ₱17.3K

-89.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,203 ₹114.3K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-84.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.33 ₹2,215

$49.33 ₱3,106

-52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.72 ₹2,727

$25.24 ₱1,589

13.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.99 ₹3,703

$77.0 ₱4,846

-49.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.13 ₹2,291

$57.2 ₱3,601

-57.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$59.4 ₹5,640

$500 ₱31.5K

-88.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$40.80 ₹3,874

$309 ₱19.4K

-86.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₹15.8K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ₹10.2K

$615 ₱38.7K

-82.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,564 ₹148.5K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-45.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$383 ₹36.4K

$346 ₱21.8K

10.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

25.00%

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

Last update for Dhanbad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dhanbad

$80 26.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 158% $126

Eating Out

Dhanbad

$58 19%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 52.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhanbad

$55 18%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 195% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Dhanbad

$52 17%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 81.2% $42

Accommodation & Living

Dhanbad

$41 13.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 657% $268

Sport & Entertainment

Dhanbad

$16 5.4%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 165% $27

Getting Around

Dhanbad

$2.6 * 0.9%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 501% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $59.4 in Dhanbad and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dhanbad pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $10.00 in Dhanbad vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $80.0 vs $206 per month, with Dhanbad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Dhanbad

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

06:10 6:10 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Dhanbad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,162,472

964,169

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhanbad Cebu 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhanbad
Cebu

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

Dhanbad vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhanbad is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 202% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Dhanbad, 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: $59.4 in Dhanbad versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 158% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $304 per month in Dhanbad versus $918 in Cebu – a 202% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Dhanbad 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, Dhanbad and Cebu 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 Dhanbad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.