Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolonnawa and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolonnawa: $488 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Kolonnawa
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Kolonnawa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Kolonnawa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$488

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Kolonnawa versus $934 in Cebu.

Kolonnawa $488
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $794 in Kolonnawa versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Kolonnawa $794
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,100 in Kolonnawa versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Kolonnawa $1,100
Cebu $1,913

Living in Kolonnawa costs roughly 48% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kolonnawa 64% lower, Cebu 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 LKR 1,285

$3.79 ₱243

2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.33 LKR 8,419

$23.33 ₱1,493

8.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 LKR 2,452

$3.94 ₱252

87.31%

Cappuccino

$2.45 LKR 815

$2.54 ₱163

-3.54%

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

$0.71 LKR 236

$1.57 ₱100

-54.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.47 ₱29.87

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LKR 718

$1.77 ₱113

22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,018

$2.22 ₱142

37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 518

$1.90 ₱121

-17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 178

$1.36 ₱87.3

-61.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 LKR 192

$0.94 ₱59.9

-38.30%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 551

$1.99 ₱127

-16.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 LKR 3,501

$9.70 ₱621

8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 LKR 1,539

$4.32 ₱276

7.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.32 LKR 2,432

$7.51 ₱481

-2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.75 LKR 2,243

$3.31 ₱212

103.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 LKR 281

$1.37 ₱87.6

-37.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 LKR 1,472

$2.34 ₱150

89.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 439

$1.49 ₱95.5

-11.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 347

$2.30 ₱147

-54.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 255

$1.87 ₱120

-58.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$1.10 ₱70.4

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.63 ₱40.42

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 LKR 3,435

$2.86 ₱183

261.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 LKR 3,488

$6.08 ₱389

72.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 LKR 588

$1.27 ₱81.6

39.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 LKR 738

$1.72 ₱110

29.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 LKR 53.2

$0.22 ₱14.01

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱790

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 134

$0.74 ₱47.60

-45.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 116

$0.22 ₱14.10

59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$4.28 ₱274

-78.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 442

$1.31 ₱83.8

1.53%

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

$43.9K LKR 14.6M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

111.20%

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

$41.1K LKR 13.7M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

115.85%

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

$59.6 LKR 19.8K

$118 ₱7,577

-49.68%

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

$4.20 LKR 1,397

$15.76 ₱1,009

-73.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 LKR 6,868

$28.33 ₱1,813

-27.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 LKR 1,545

$5.45 ₱349

-14.68%

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

$37.35 LKR 12.4K

$276 ₱17.6K

-86.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 394.7K

$7,789 ₱498.4K

-84.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.07 LKR 6,005

$48.18 ₱3,083

-62.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.73 LKR 5,560

$24.47 ₱1,566

-31.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 LKR 26.6K

$75.3 ₱4,817

6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.69 LKR 13.9K

$58.0 ₱3,713

-28.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱291.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

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 Kolonnawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kolonnawa

$217 44.6%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 6.3% $14

Eating Out

Kolonnawa

$103 21.2%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 8.9% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolonnawa

$84 17.3%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 92.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Kolonnawa

$70 14.5%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 31.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Kolonnawa

$9.3 * 1.9%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 372% $35

Getting Around

Kolonnawa

$2.8 * 0.6%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 440% $12

Accommodation & Living

Kolonnawa

- * 0%

Cebu

$322 34.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Kolonnawa vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $204 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Kolonnawa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

01:33 1:33 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Kolonnawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,800

964,169

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.23 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kolonnawa Cebu 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kolonnawa
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

Kolonnawa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolonnawa is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and utilities. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $732 in Kolonnawa and $1,401 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 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $488 per month in Kolonnawa versus $934 in Cebu – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $488 in Kolonnawa versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Kolonnawa but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Kolonnawa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kolonnawa 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.