Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karawang and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $453 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 Karawang
Learn more

Karawang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Karawang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$453

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Karawang versus $918 in Cebu.

Karawang $453
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $821 in Karawang versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Karawang $821
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,188 in Karawang versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Karawang $1,188
Cebu $1,900

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Karawang 66% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

$3.09 ₱194

-55.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.11 Rp 200.0K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-54.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.43 Rp 61.7K

$3.92 ₱247

-12.50%

Cappuccino

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

$2.51 ₱158

-39.44%

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

$0.41 Rp 7,379

$1.59 ₱100

-74.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,668

$0.53 ₱33.43

-62.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

$1.78 ₱112

73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 Rp 55.8K

$2.17 ₱137

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

$1.92 ₱121

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.36 ₱85.4

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-18.81%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$2.03 ₱128

-30.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$9.86 ₱621

-72.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 Rp 52.8K

$4.39 ₱277

-33.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 Rp 144.2K

$7.60 ₱479

5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$3.30 ₱208

-44.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$1.39 ₱87.8

-25.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

$2.33 ₱147

-46.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 Rp 9,404

$1.50 ₱94.3

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$2.36 ₱149

-62.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.90 ₱119

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,926

$0.63 ₱39.71

-30.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$3.00 ₱189

-11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.50 Rp 405.0K

$6.03 ₱379

273.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$1.23 ₱77.7

48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$1.75 ₱110

84.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

$0.25 ₱15.86

136.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$0.77 ₱48.62

12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 Rp 9,216

$0.23 ₱14.53

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

$4.46 ₱281

-74.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 Rp 16.5K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-30.53%

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

$21.5K Rp 387.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.22%

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

$28.6K Rp 514.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

49.29%

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

$34.09 Rp 613.6K

$120 ₱7,569

-71.65%

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

$4.43 Rp 79.7K

$14.00 ₱882

-68.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.32 Rp 221.7K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-55.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.52 Rp 369.4K

$32.33 ₱2,035

-36.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.33 Rp 150.0K

$6.65 ₱419

25.26%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$5.65 ₱356

-49.20%

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

$43.73 Rp 787.2K

$275 ₱17.3K

-84.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,398 Rp 151.2M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

6.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.72 Rp 301.0K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-66.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.84 Rp 501.2K

$25.24 ₱1,589

10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.09 Rp 883.6K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-36.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.42 Rp 871.6K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 Rp 2.5M

$500 ₱31.5K

-71.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.4 Rp 1.2M

$309 ₱19.4K

-77.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 Rp 9.6M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 Rp 6.6M

$615 ₱38.7K

-39.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,178 Rp 21.2M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-59.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 Rp 12.9M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-62.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 Rp 7.4M

$346 ₱21.8K

18.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

7.2

58.06%

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

Last update for Karawang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karawang

$175 38.5%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 17.9% $31

Accommodation & Living

Karawang

$68 15.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 352% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Karawang

$64 14.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 46.9% $30

Eating Out

Karawang

$64 14%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 39% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karawang

$51 11.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 218% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Karawang

$26 5.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 66.1% $17

Getting Around

Karawang

$5.8 * 1.3%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 169% $9.8

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 $141 in Karawang and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karawang pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Karawang vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $206 per month, with Karawang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Karawang

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

21:16 9:16 PM

1 h ahead of Karawang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,472

964,169

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karawang Cebu 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karawang
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

Karawang vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karawang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Karawang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $141 in Karawang versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $453 per month in Karawang versus $918 in Cebu – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Karawang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Karawang 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, Karawang 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 Karawang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.