Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hama and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hama: $557 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hama
🇸🇾 Syria
$557
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $557 in Hama versus $915 in Cebu.

  • Hama $557
  • Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $868 in Hama versus $1,418 in Cebu.

  • Hama $868
  • Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,180 in Hama versus $1,921 in Cebu.

  • Hama $1,180
  • Cebu $1,921

Living in Hama costs roughly 39% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hama 59% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.62 SYP 926
$3.05 ₱192
149.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.44 SYP 3,699
$24.00 ₱1,511
26.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.70 SYP 329
$3.99 ₱251
-32.33%
Cappuccino
$1.16 SYP 141
$2.50 ₱157
-53.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 SYP 275
$1.54 ₱97.1
46.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 SYP 106
$0.50 ₱31.37
74.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.95 SYP 237
$1.78 ₱112
9.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 SYP 218
$2.17 ₱136
-17.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 SYP 129
$2.00 ₱126
-47.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.42 SYP 50.8
$1.37 ₱86.2
-69.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 SYP 191
$1.03 ₱64.9
52.43%
Eggs
$1.64 SYP 199
$2.03 ₱128
-19.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.84 SYP 467
$10.20 ₱642
-62.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.57 SYP 677
$4.45 ₱280
25.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 SYP 1,689
$7.67 ₱483
81.23%
Apples (1kg)
$1.08 SYP 131
$3.31 ₱208
-67.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 SYP 173
$1.46 ₱91.8
-2.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.11 SYP 135
$2.32 ₱146
-52.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.05 SYP 128
$1.49 ₱94.0
-29.53%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 SYP 89.5
$2.34 ₱147
-68.38%
Onion (1kg)
$0.79 SYP 96.3
$1.94 ₱122
-59.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.40 SYP 48.65
$1.16 ₱73.0
-65.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 SYP 74.6
$0.68 ₱42.89
-10.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.74 SYP 333
$2.99 ₱188
-8.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.14 SYP 746
$6.24 ₱393
-1.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 SYP 134
$1.23 ₱77.3
-10.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 SYP 353
$1.73 ₱109
68.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Hama
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 SYP 23.72
$0.23 ₱14.36
-13.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.34 ₱777
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.02 SYP 123
$0.79 ₱49.96
29.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 SYP 181
$0.22 ₱13.86
577.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.89 SYP 959
$4.54 ₱286
73.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$3.60 SYP 437
$1.32 ₱82.9
172.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.0K SYP 1.8M
$21.0K ₱1.3M
-28.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.5K SYP 2.4M
$19.4K ₱1.2M
0.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 SYP 17.3K
$119 ₱7,464
20.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32 SYP 1,132
$14.22 ₱896
-34.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.15 SYP 2,814
$27.47 ₱1,730
-15.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$32.31 ₱2,034
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.50 ₱409
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.39 SYP 655
$5.40 ₱340
-0.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$67.9 SYP 8,249
$276 ₱17.4K
-75.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,747 SYP 212.2K
$7,866 ₱495.3K
-77.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.42 SYP 3,454
$49.37 ₱3,108
-42.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.97 SYP 4,857
$24.58 ₱1,548
62.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$59.9 SYP 7,277
$76.6 ₱4,825
-21.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.8 SYP 7,143
$58.9 ₱3,706
-0.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hama
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$503 ₱31.7K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$305 ₱19.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 ₱67.7K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$632 ₱39.8K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,870 ₱180.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,877 ₱118.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hama
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$336 ₱21.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.25
7.2
97.92%

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

Last update for Hama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hama
$175
Cebu
$160 8.5% $15
Groceries & Markets
Hama
$169
Cebu
$210 24.3% $41
Eating Out
Hama
$109
Cebu
$88 19.4% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Hama
$84
Cebu
$94 12% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Hama
$11 *
Cebu
$43 299% $32
Getting Around
Hama
$9.2 *
Cebu
$15 64.1% $5.9
Accommodation & Living
Hama
- *
Cebu
$305

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Hama vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $210, with Hama cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇾 Hama
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
19:51 7:51 PM
00:51 12:51 AM
5 h ahead of Hama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
312,994
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Hama Cebu 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hama
  • Cebu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Hama vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Hama?
Hama is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $835 in Hama and $1,372 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Hama and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hama and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $557 per month in Hama versus $915 in Cebu – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 enough for either Hama or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Hama gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Hama or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Hama 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, Hama or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Hama 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 Hama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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