Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Negombo and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Negombo: $402 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Negombo
Learn more

Negombo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Negombo

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$402

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $402 in Negombo versus $918 in Cebu.

Negombo $402
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $649 in Negombo versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Negombo $649
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $897 in Negombo versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Negombo $897
Cebu $1,900

Living in Negombo costs roughly 56% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Negombo 70% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 LKR 1,483

$3.09 ₱194

44.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.63 LKR 5,508

$24.22 ₱1,525

-31.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 LKR 2,516

$3.92 ₱247

93.62%

Cappuccino

$1.23 LKR 406

$2.51 ₱158

-51.00%

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

$0.69 LKR 228

$1.59 ₱100

-56.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.5

$0.53 ₱33.43

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 LKR 712

$1.78 ₱112

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 LKR 978

$2.17 ₱137

35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 LKR 521

$1.92 ₱121

-18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 174

$1.36 ₱85.4

-61.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 245

$1.01 ₱63.5

-26.73%

Eggs

$1.64 LKR 543

$2.03 ₱128

-19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 LKR 4,642

$9.86 ₱621

42.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 LKR 1,366

$4.39 ₱277

-6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.00 LKR 1,986

$7.60 ₱479

-21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 LKR 585

$3.30 ₱208

-46.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 LKR 229

$1.39 ₱87.8

-50.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 LKR 738

$2.33 ₱147

-4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 395

$1.50 ₱94.3

-20.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 242

$2.36 ₱149

-69.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 267

$1.90 ₱119

-57.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 LKR 308

$1.19 ₱74.9

-21.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 142

$0.63 ₱39.71

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 LKR 3,359

$3.00 ₱189

238.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 LKR 4,480

$6.03 ₱379

124.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 646

$1.23 ₱77.7

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 997

$1.75 ₱110

72.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 94.9

$0.25 ₱15.86

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 125

$0.77 ₱48.62

-50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.23 ₱14.53

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LKR 297

$4.46 ₱281

-79.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LKR 332

$1.31 ₱82.8

-23.66%

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

$37.3K LKR 12.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

75.39%

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

$40.9K LKR 13.5M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

113.36%

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

$25.65 LKR 8,497

$120 ₱7,569

-78.67%

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

$4.21 LKR 1,395

$14.00 ₱882

-69.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 LKR 6,908

$27.54 ₱1,734

-24.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.27 LKR 5,059

$32.33 ₱2,035

-52.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.07 LKR 3,004

$6.65 ₱419

36.39%

Cinema Ticket

$2.45 LKR 813

$5.65 ₱356

-56.64%

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

$37.97 LKR 12.6K

$275 ₱17.3K

-86.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$446 LKR 147.9K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-94.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.82 LKR 2,920

$49.33 ₱3,106

-82.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.87 LKR 5,586

$25.24 ₱1,589

-33.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.78 LKR 12.2K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-52.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.22 LKR 8,023

$57.2 ₱3,601

-57.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 LKR 59.7K

$346 ₱21.8K

-47.89%

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 Negombo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Negombo

$194 48.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 5.9% $11

Eating Out

Negombo

$94 23.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 5.8% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Negombo

$51 12.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 219% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Negombo

$39 9.7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 141% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Negombo

$20 5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 116% $23

Getting Around

Negombo

$3.4 * 0.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 359% $12

Accommodation & Living

Negombo

- * 0%

Cebu

$309 33.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 92% 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: $17.00 in Negombo vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $206 per month, with Negombo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Negombo

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Negombo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,449

964,169

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Negombo Cebu 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Negombo
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

Negombo vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $402 per month in Negombo versus $918 in Cebu – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Negombo 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, Negombo 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 Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.