Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jimma and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,057 in Jimma, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Jimma despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Jimma versus $934 in Cebu.

Jimma $1,057
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,424 in Jimma versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Jimma $1,424
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,792 in Jimma versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Jimma $1,792
Cebu $1,896

Living in Jimma is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jimma 21% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 ETB 747

$3.03 ₱190

53.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

Cappuccino

$1.17 ETB 188

$2.52 ₱158

-53.57%

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

$0.59 ETB 95.2

$1.54 ₱96.9

-61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ETB 70.0

$0.49 ₱30.98

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 ETB 452

$1.79 ₱112

56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ETB 230

$2.26 ₱142

-36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ETB 185

$1.95 ₱122

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ETB 58.1

$1.43 ₱89.7

-74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$1.02 ₱63.8

9.80%

Eggs

$4.02 ETB 646

$2.06 ₱129

95.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 ETB 1,847

$4.61 ₱289

149.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 ETB 1,835

$7.70 ₱483

48.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 370

$3.31 ₱207

-30.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ETB 180

$1.45 ₱90.9

-22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ETB 555

$2.36 ₱148

46.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 ETB 93.8

$1.54 ₱96.4

-62.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 87.7

$2.36 ₱148

-76.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ETB 538

$1.99 ₱125

68.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 93.7

$0.67 ₱42.15

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 ETB 1,065

$6.35 ₱398

4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ETB 187

$1.31 ₱81.9

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ETB 234

$1.73 ₱108

-16.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ETB 35.27

$0.25 ₱15.78

-12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.38 ETB 2,150

$12.65 ₱793

5.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ETB 276

$4.33 ₱271

-60.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 ETB 279

$1.33 ₱83.5

30.83%

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

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

135.44%

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

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

198.79%

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

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

$121 ₱7,563

-47.39%

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

$36.28 ETB 5,829

$14.45 ₱907

151.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$313 ETB 50.3K

$28.29 ₱1,774

1007.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.06 ETB 5,474

$32.68 ₱2,050

4.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

$24.87 ₱1,560

272.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ETB 22.3K

$76.6 ₱4,804

81.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ETB 18.5K

$59.3 ₱3,717

94.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ETB 33.4K

$506 ₱31.7K

-58.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ETB 25.7K

$309 ₱19.4K

-48.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ETB 66.7K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-60.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ETB 49.9K

$619 ₱38.8K

-49.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-23.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-40.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 ETB 36.5K

$341 ₱21.4K

-33.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

25.00%

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

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jimma

–

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Groceries & Markets

Jimma

–

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jimma

–

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Jimma

–

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Eating Out

Jimma

–

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Jimma

–

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Getting Around

Jimma

–

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Jimma and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Jimma

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

15:28 3:28 PM

5 h ahead of Jimma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,573

964,169

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 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 ETB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jimma Cebu 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Jimma
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

Jimma vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and clothing. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% 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: $208 in Jimma versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jimma pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 6% less than in Jimma. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,057 in Jimma, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Jimma. 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 Jimma, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jimma 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 13% less than in Jimma. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.