Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,096 in Erbil, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Erbil despite lower rent and utilities.

52

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,096

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Erbil versus $934 in Cebu.

Erbil $1,096
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,634 in Erbil versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Erbil $1,634
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,173 in Erbil versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Erbil $2,173
Cebu $1,896

Living in Erbil is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Erbil 18% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 IQD 11.7K

$3.03 ₱190

155.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.93 IQD 64.9K

$23.48 ₱1,473

82.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 IQD 12.9K

$4.09 ₱256

109.05%

Cappuccino

$3.92 IQD 5,918

$2.52 ₱158

55.56%

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

$0.98 IQD 1,476

$1.54 ₱96.9

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 IQD 635

$0.49 ₱30.98

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 IQD 9,213

$1.79 ₱112

240.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 IQD 7,074

$2.26 ₱142

107.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 IQD 1,866

$1.95 ₱122

-36.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 IQD 1,244

$1.43 ₱89.7

-42.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 IQD 2,626

$1.02 ₱63.8

70.59%

Eggs

$1.80 IQD 2,716

$2.06 ₱129

-12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 IQD 12.1K

$9.81 ₱615

-18.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,488

$4.61 ₱289

7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

$7.70 ₱483

89.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.09 IQD 1,642

$3.31 ₱207

-67.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 IQD 1,679

$1.45 ₱90.9

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 IQD 1,860

$2.36 ₱148

-47.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 1,151

$1.54 ₱96.4

-50.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,104

$2.36 ₱148

-69.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,100

$1.99 ₱125

-63.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 IQD 1,050

$1.15 ₱72.1

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 IQD 903

$0.67 ₱42.15

-10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 IQD 3,683

$3.00 ₱188

-18.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 IQD 18.8K

$6.35 ₱398

95.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 IQD 2,449

$1.31 ₱81.9

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 3,270

$1.73 ₱108

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 IQD 896

$0.25 ₱15.78

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.79 IQD 64.7K

$12.65 ₱793

238.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 IQD 2,934

$0.74 ₱46.32

162.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 IQD 2,686

$0.21 ₱13.11

747.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 IQD 9,572

$4.33 ₱271

46.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 IQD 1,029

$1.33 ₱83.5

-48.87%

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

$17.7K IQD 26.7M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-18.90%

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

$20.3K IQD 30.6M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

4.45%

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

$131 IQD 197.2K

$121 ₱7,563

8.24%

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

$13.79 IQD 20.8K

$14.45 ₱907

-4.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 IQD 41.7K

$28.29 ₱1,774

-2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 IQD 98.7K

$32.68 ₱2,050

99.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 IQD 21.6K

$6.39 ₱401

123.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 IQD 17.2K

$5.46 ₱342

107.88%

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

$326 IQD 493.1K

$273 ₱17.1K

19.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,186 IQD 4.8M

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.25 IQD 47.2K

$49.57 ₱3,109

-36.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 IQD 67.2K

$24.87 ₱1,560

78.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

$76.6 ₱4,804

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 IQD 104.3K

$59.3 ₱3,717

16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 IQD 700.1K

$506 ₱31.7K

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 IQD 442.5K

$309 ₱19.4K

-5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 IQD 1.1M

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-31.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 IQD 662.8K

$619 ₱38.8K

-29.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 IQD 1.7M

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-61.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$645 IQD 975.2K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-65.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 IQD 891.2K

$341 ₱21.4K

72.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

7.2

-64.86%

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

Last update for Erbil: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$293 27%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 5.7% $17

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$199 18.4%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 5.7% $11

Eating Out

Erbil

$180 16.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 50.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$172 15.9%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 5% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$96 8.9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 1.5% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$88 8.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 50.5% $44

Getting Around

Erbil

$56 5.2%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 72.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Erbil and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Erbil pays 73% 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: $43.00 in Erbil vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $210, with Erbil cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

13:17 1:17 PM

5 h ahead of Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

964,169

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Erbil Cebu 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

Erbil vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Erbil, 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: $463 in Erbil versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,096 per month in Erbil versus $934 in Cebu – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 238% less than in Erbil. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,096 in Erbil, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Erbil. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Erbil, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Erbil 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Erbil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.