Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $450 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
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Gampaha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$450

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Gampaha versus $918 in Cebu.

Gampaha $450
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $765 in Gampaha versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Gampaha $765
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,079 in Gampaha versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gampaha $1,079
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 51% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 LKR 600

$3.09 ₱194

-41.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.00 LKR 5,961

$24.22 ₱1,525

-25.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,723

$3.92 ₱247

32.65%

Cappuccino

$1.25 LKR 414

$2.51 ₱158

-50.20%

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

$0.54 LKR 178

$1.59 ₱100

-66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 89.7

$0.53 ₱33.43

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 LKR 705

$1.78 ₱112

19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 LKR 1,007

$2.17 ₱137

40.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 538

$1.92 ₱121

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 LKR 144

$1.36 ₱85.4

-68.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.01 ₱63.5

-27.72%

Eggs

$1.72 LKR 569

$2.03 ₱128

-15.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 LKR 4,480

$9.86 ₱621

37.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 LKR 1,312

$4.39 ₱277

-9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 LKR 2,394

$7.60 ₱479

-4.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 LKR 1,961

$3.30 ₱208

79.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 269

$1.39 ₱87.8

-41.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 LKR 1,461

$2.33 ₱147

89.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 420

$1.50 ₱94.3

-15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 LKR 318

$2.36 ₱149

-59.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 257

$1.90 ₱119

-58.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 95.7

$1.19 ₱74.9

-75.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 LKR 104

$0.63 ₱39.71

-49.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 LKR 3,294

$3.00 ₱189

231.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 LKR 4,231

$6.03 ₱379

111.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 LKR 457

$1.23 ₱77.7

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 LKR 784

$1.75 ₱110

35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.25 ₱15.86

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.8

$0.77 ₱48.62

-62.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$0.23 ₱14.53

56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$4.46 ₱281

-79.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 LKR 390

$1.31 ₱82.8

-9.92%

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

$29.9K LKR 9.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

40.66%

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

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

109.90%

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

$27.63 LKR 9,153

$120 ₱7,569

-77.02%

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

$2.98 LKR 985

$14.00 ₱882

-78.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.84 LKR 3,591

$27.54 ₱1,734

-60.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.56 LKR 2,504

$32.33 ₱2,035

-76.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 LKR 1,472

$5.65 ₱356

-21.42%

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

$15.07 LKR 4,991

$275 ₱17.3K

-94.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$122 LKR 40.4K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-98.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.88 LKR 5,924

$49.33 ₱3,106

-63.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.90 LKR 2,948

$25.24 ₱1,589

-64.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 LKR 20.3K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-20.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.29 LKR 8,044

$57.2 ₱3,601

-57.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.4 LKR 29.6K

$500 ₱31.5K

-82.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.5 LKR 18.4K

$309 ₱19.4K

-82.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 LKR 99.8K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-72.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 LKR 55.4K

$615 ₱38.7K

-72.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$225 LKR 74.4K

$346 ₱21.8K

-35.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

38.89%

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

Last update for Gampaha: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gampaha

$217 48.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 5.3% $12

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 35.7% $23

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$55 12.3%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 457% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$51 11.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 85.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 290% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$16 3.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 165% $27

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.3 * 0.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 366% $12

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 $89.4 in Gampaha and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 54% 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: $18.00 in Gampaha vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

17:43 5:43 PM

20:13 8:13 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

964,169

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 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).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gampaha Cebu 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Gampaha
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

Gampaha vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gampaha is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Cebu. 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: $89.4 in Gampaha versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $450 per month in Gampaha versus $918 in Cebu – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Gampaha gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Gampaha 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, Gampaha 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 Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.