Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elbasan and Cebu

For one person, living costs are similar in Elbasan and in Cebu: $882 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

Elbasan
🇦🇱 Albania
$882
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elbasan 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 Elbasan and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $882 in Elbasan versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Elbasan $882
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Elbasan versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Elbasan $1,391
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,901 in Elbasan versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Elbasan $1,901
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Elbasan costs roughly 4% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Elbasan 35% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.79 ALL 788
$3.09 ₱194
216.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.36 ALL 2,928
$24.22 ₱1,525
50.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.85 ALL 552
$3.92 ₱247
74.74%
Cappuccino
$1.68 ALL 135
$2.51 ₱158
-33.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ALL 109
$1.59 ₱100
-15.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ALL 50.8
$0.53 ₱33.43
18.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 ALL 174
$1.78 ₱112
21.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 ALL 228
$2.17 ₱137
30.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 ALL 151
$1.92 ₱121
-2.08%
White Bread (500g)
$0.91 ALL 73.4
$1.36 ₱85.4
-33.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 ALL 131
$1.01 ₱63.5
60.40%
Eggs
$2.70 ALL 218
$2.03 ₱128
33.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.98 ALL 804
$9.86 ₱621
1.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.87 ALL 473
$4.39 ₱277
33.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.19 ALL 901
$7.60 ₱479
47.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.20 ALL 96.3
$3.30 ₱208
-63.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 ALL 184
$1.39 ₱87.8
64.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.36 ALL 109
$2.33 ₱147
-41.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.07 ALL 86.1
$1.50 ₱94.3
-28.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 ALL 79.0
$2.36 ₱149
-58.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ALL 87.5
$1.90 ₱119
-42.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.81 ALL 65.1
$1.19 ₱74.9
-31.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 ALL 52.1
$0.63 ₱39.71
3.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 ALL 353
$3.00 ₱189
46.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.07 ALL 649
$6.03 ₱379
33.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ALL 82.0
$1.23 ₱77.7
-17.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 ALL 149
$1.75 ₱110
5.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 ALL 38.46
$0.25 ₱15.86
92.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.51 ALL 1,571
$12.64 ₱796
54.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.77 ALL 303
$0.77 ₱48.62
389.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 ALL 122
$0.23 ₱14.53
556.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.94 ALL 1,203
$4.46 ₱281
234.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 ALL 173
$1.31 ₱82.8
64.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K ALL 2.3M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
36.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K ALL 2.4M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
56.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 ALL 4,918
$120 ₱7,569
-49.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.20 ALL 1,224
$14.00 ₱882
8.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.00 ALL 966
$27.54 ₱1,734
-56.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.6 ALL 4,558
$32.33 ₱2,035
75.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.22 ALL 1,386
$6.65 ₱419
158.95%
Cinema Ticket
$4.33 ALL 349
$5.65 ₱356
-23.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$139 ALL 11.2K
$275 ₱17.3K
-49.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,835 ALL 147.8K
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-76.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.1 ALL 5,804
$49.33 ₱3,106
46.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.85 ALL 3,611
$25.24 ₱1,589
77.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.8 ALL 7,630
$77.0 ₱4,846
23.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.3 ALL 7,754
$57.2 ₱3,601
68.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$299 ALL 24.1K
$500 ₱31.5K
-40.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$204 ALL 16.4K
$309 ₱19.4K
-34.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$442 ALL 35.6K
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-59.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$311 ALL 25.1K
$615 ₱38.7K
-49.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,361 ALL 109.6K
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-52.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$858 ALL 69.1K
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-55.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Elbasan
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$539 ALL 43.4K
$346 ₱21.8K
55.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.1
7.2
-15.28%

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

Last update for Elbasan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Elbasan
$210
Cebu
$206 1.8% $3.7
Accommodation & Living
Elbasan
$204
Cebu
$309 51.5% $105
Eating Out
Elbasan
$143
Cebu
$88 38.4% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Elbasan
$139
Cebu
$94 32.2% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elbasan
$88
Cebu
$162 83.3% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Elbasan
$65
Cebu
$44 33.2% $22
Getting Around
Elbasan
$33
Cebu
$16 52.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $299 in Elbasan and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elbasan pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Elbasan vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇱 Elbasan
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
05:20 5:20 AM
11:20 11:20 AM
6 h ahead of Elbasan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
78,703
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Elbasan Cebu 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Elbasan
  • 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
Elbasan vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Elbasan?
Elbasan is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Elbasan or Cebu?
Average pay runs 56% higher in Elbasan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Elbasan and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $299 in Elbasan versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Elbasan and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $882 per month in Elbasan versus $918 in Cebu – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Elbasan runs roughly 54% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Elbasan or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Elbasan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Elbasan or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Elbasan 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.
Which city is safer, Elbasan or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Elbasan 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Elbasan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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