Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Cebu

For one person, living costs are similar in Mecca and in Cebu: $936 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $918 in Cebu.

Mecca $936
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Mecca $1,453
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Mecca $1,970
Cebu $1,900

Living in Mecca is roughly 2% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mecca 31% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$3.09 ₱194

47.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$24.22 ₱1,525

11.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$3.92 ₱247

80.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$2.51 ₱158

3.98%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$1.59 ₱100

-57.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.53 ₱33.43

-56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.92 ₱121

-8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$1.36 ₱85.4

-24.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$1.01 ₱63.5

108.91%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$2.03 ₱128

24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$9.86 ₱621

-39.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$4.39 ₱277

84.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$7.60 ₱479

70.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$3.30 ₱208

-36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.39 ₱87.8

13.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$2.33 ₱147

-30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$1.50 ₱94.3

-2.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.36 ₱149

-52.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.90 ₱119

-31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.19 ₱74.9

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$0.63 ₱39.71

-20.63%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$3.00 ₱189

127.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$0.25 ₱15.86

436.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$0.77 ₱48.62

215.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$0.23 ₱14.53

660.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$4.46 ₱281

194.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.31 ₱82.8

-51.91%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

123.53%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

10.34%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$120 ₱7,569

-44.39%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$14.00 ₱882

152.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$27.54 ₱1,734

129.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$32.33 ₱2,035

149.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$6.65 ₱419

539.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$5.65 ₱356

111.68%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$275 ₱17.3K

181.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

104.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$49.33 ₱3,106

-72.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$25.24 ₱1,589

125.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$77.0 ₱4,846

-48.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$57.2 ₱3,601

-6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$500 ₱31.5K

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$309 ₱19.4K

-6.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-23.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$615 ₱38.7K

-14.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

120.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$1,917 ₱120.7K

19.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$346 ₱21.8K

212.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

7.2

-27.08%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 6.5% $19

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 6.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 2.2% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 58.3% $61

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 4.7% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 27.7% $20

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 5.9% $1

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 $533 in Mecca and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 213% 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: $27.00 in Mecca vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $206, with Mecca cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:40 7:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

5 h ahead of Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

964,169

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Cebu 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
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

Mecca vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, utilities, and eating out. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Mecca, 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: $533 in Mecca versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mecca pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $936 per month in Mecca versus $918 in Cebu – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $936 in Mecca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mecca. 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 Mecca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mecca 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 2% less than in Mecca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.