Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hikkaduwa and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hikkaduwa: $509 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Hikkaduwa
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Hikkaduwa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Hikkaduwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$509

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Hikkaduwa versus $918 in Cebu.

Hikkaduwa $509
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Hikkaduwa $826
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Hikkaduwa versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Hikkaduwa $1,144
Cebu $1,900

Living in Hikkaduwa costs roughly 45% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hikkaduwa 62% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 LKR 1,475

$3.09 ₱195

44.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.59 LKR 8,144

$24.22 ₱1,526

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,507

$3.92 ₱247

93.11%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 827

$2.51 ₱158

-0.40%

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

$0.72 LKR 238

$1.59 ₱100

-54.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 90.1

$0.53 ₱33.47

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 716

$1.78 ₱112

21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$2.17 ₱137

38.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 520

$1.92 ₱121

-18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$1.36 ₱85.5

-61.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 266

$1.01 ₱63.6

-20.79%

Eggs

$1.60 LKR 530

$2.03 ₱128

-21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 LKR 4,636

$9.86 ₱622

41.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$4.39 ₱277

11.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.26 LKR 2,405

$7.60 ₱479

-4.47%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 LKR 2,265

$3.30 ₱208

107.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$1.39 ₱87.9

-38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,478

$2.33 ₱147

91.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 LKR 406

$1.50 ₱94.4

-18.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LKR 339

$2.36 ₱149

-56.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.90 ₱119

-56.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 LKR 306

$1.19 ₱75.0

-22.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 LKR 145

$0.63 ₱39.75

-30.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 LKR 3,418

$3.00 ₱189

244.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 LKR 4,536

$6.03 ₱380

127.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 LKR 625

$1.23 ₱77.7

53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 998

$1.75 ₱110

72.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 126

$0.77 ₱48.66

-50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.23 ₱14.54

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 293

$4.46 ₱281

-80.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$1.31 ₱82.9

1.53%

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

$37.8K LKR 12.5M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

77.73%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

113.65%

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

$54.8 LKR 18.2K

$120 ₱7,577

-54.40%

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

$4.14 LKR 1,371

$14.00 ₱883

-70.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 LKR 6,959

$27.54 ₱1,736

-23.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,037

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,474

$5.65 ₱356

-21.24%

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

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

$275 ₱17.3K

-86.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,227 LKR 406.4K

$7,918 ₱499.0K

-84.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.35 LKR 6,077

$49.33 ₱3,109

-62.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 LKR 5,564

$25.24 ₱1,591

-33.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 LKR 25.7K

$77.0 ₱4,850

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.92 LKR 14.2K

$57.2 ₱3,605

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

7.2

76.25%

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

Last update for Hikkaduwa: 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

Hikkaduwa

$239 46.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 13.7% $33

Eating Out

Hikkaduwa

$109 21.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 19.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hikkaduwa

$80 15.7%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 102% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Hikkaduwa

$70 13.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 34.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Hikkaduwa

$8.9 * 1.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 390% $35

Getting Around

Hikkaduwa

$2.2 * 0.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 595% $13

Accommodation & Living

Hikkaduwa

- * 0%

Cebu

$309 33.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Hikkaduwa vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Hikkaduwa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

18:15 6:15 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Hikkaduwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,342

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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 63.02 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hikkaduwa Cebu 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Hikkaduwa
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

Hikkaduwa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hikkaduwa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $763 in Hikkaduwa and $1,377 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.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $509 per month in Hikkaduwa versus $918 in Cebu – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Hikkaduwa 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, Hikkaduwa 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 Hikkaduwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.