Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeddah and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,360 in Jeddah, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Jeddah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,360
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,360 in Jeddah versus $934 in Cebu.

  • Jeddah $1,360
  • Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,168 in Jeddah versus $1,415 in Cebu.

  • Jeddah $2,168
  • Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,975 in Jeddah versus $1,896 in Cebu.

  • Jeddah $2,975
  • Cebu $1,896

Living in Jeddah is roughly 46% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeddah is 2% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.04 SAR 22.68
$3.03 ₱190
99.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.8 SAR 300
$23.48 ₱1,473
239.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.75 SAR 32.85
$4.09 ₱256
113.94%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 SAR 9.11
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 SAR 9.88
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.77 SAR 14.16
$2.52 ₱158
49.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 SAR 3.65
$1.54 ₱96.9
-37.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 SAR 0.90
$0.49 ₱30.98
-51.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.79 ₱112
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.26 ₱142
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 SAR 6.28
$1.95 ₱122
-14.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 SAR 4.99
$1.43 ₱89.7
-6.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 SAR 8.89
$1.02 ₱63.8
132.35%
Eggs
$2.48 SAR 9.31
$2.06 ₱129
20.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.36 SAR 23.89
$9.81 ₱615
-35.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.00 SAR 30.02
$4.61 ₱289
73.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.31 SAR 49.98
$7.70 ₱483
72.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.10 SAR 7.90
$3.31 ₱207
-36.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 SAR 6.63
$1.45 ₱90.9
22.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.54 SAR 5.80
$2.36 ₱148
-34.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.69 SAR 6.36
$1.54 ₱96.4
9.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 SAR 4.26
$2.36 ₱148
-52.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.29 SAR 4.85
$1.99 ₱125
-35.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 SAR 4.22
$1.15 ₱72.1
-2.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 SAR 1.87
$0.67 ₱42.15
-25.37%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.23 SAR 15.90
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 SAR 6.92
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 SAR 9.70
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.86 SAR 25.77
$3.00 ₱188
128.67%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$6.35 ₱398
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.31 ₱81.9
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.73 ₱108
-
🚌 Getting Around
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 SAR 3.35
$0.25 ₱15.78
256.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.5 SAR 208
$12.65 ₱793
338.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 SAR 11.69
$0.74 ₱46.32
320.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.77 SAR 6.65
$0.21 ₱13.11
742.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.12 SAR 53.0
$4.33 ₱271
226.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 SAR 2.21
$1.33 ₱83.5
-55.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.7K SAR 179.0K
$21.8K ₱1.4M
119.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K SAR 80.4K
$19.4K ₱1.2M
10.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.3 SAR 339
$121 ₱7,563
-25.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.04 SAR 147
$14.45 ₱907
170.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.9 SAR 255
$28.29 ₱1,774
139.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.6 SAR 299
$32.68 ₱2,050
143.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$38.23 SAR 144
$6.39 ₱401
498.28%
Cinema Ticket
$12.04 SAR 45.22
$5.46 ₱342
120.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$757 SAR 2,841
$273 ₱17.1K
176.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K SAR 61.1K
$8,156 ₱511.5K
99.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.8 SAR 277
$49.57 ₱3,109
48.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.0 SAR 210
$24.87 ₱1,560
125.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 SAR 380
$76.6 ₱4,804
32.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.3 SAR 354
$59.3 ₱3,717
59.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$790 SAR 2,966
$506 ₱31.7K
56.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$535 SAR 2,009
$309 ₱19.4K
72.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,418 SAR 5,323
$1,052 ₱66.0K
34.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$817 SAR 3,070
$619 ₱38.8K
32.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,777 SAR 6,673
$2,915 ₱182.9K
-39.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,143 SAR 4,291
$1,867 ₱117.1K
-38.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jeddah
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,646 SAR 6,180
$341 ₱21.4K
382.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
7.2
-25.14%

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

Last update for Jeddah: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jeddah
$535
Cebu
$309 42.2% $226
Groceries & Markets
Jeddah
$201
Cebu
$210 4.9% $9.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jeddah
$197
Cebu
$163 17.2% $34
Clothing & Footwear
Jeddah
$146
Cebu
$95 35.4% $52
Eating Out
Jeddah
$125
Cebu
$88 29.1% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Jeddah
$104
Cebu
$44 58% $60
Getting Around
Jeddah
$71
Cebu
$15 78.3% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Jeddah and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeddah pays 383% 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: $80.0 in Jeddah vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $210, with Jeddah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Jeddah
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
09:14 9:14 AM
14:14 2:14 PM
5 h ahead of Jeddah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,430,697
964,169
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jeddah Cebu 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jeddah
  • 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
Jeddah vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Jeddah?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Jeddah or Cebu?
Average pay runs 383% higher in Jeddah, 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 Jeddah and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $790 in Jeddah versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Jeddah and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,360 per month in Jeddah versus $934 in Cebu – a 46% 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 Cebu runs roughly 338% less than in Jeddah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Jeddah or in Cebu?
At $934 in Cebu versus $1,360 in Jeddah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Jeddah. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Jeddah or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jeddah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Jeddah or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Jeddah 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Jeddah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Jeddah vs other spots: cost of living compared

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