Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nis and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,033 in Nis, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,033

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,033 in Nis versus $934 in Cebu.

Nis $1,033
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,512 in Nis versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Nis $1,512
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,991 in Nis versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Nis $1,991
Cebu $1,896

Living in Nis is roughly 11% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nis 23% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.78 RSD 915

$3.03 ₱190

189.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.92 RSD 3,533

$23.48 ₱1,473

44.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 RSD 997

$4.09 ₱256

133.99%

Cappuccino

$1.97 RSD 206

$2.52 ₱158

-21.83%

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

$2.31 RSD 241

$1.54 ₱96.9

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 RSD 181

$0.49 ₱30.98

255.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 RSD 377

$1.79 ₱112

101.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 RSD 468

$2.26 ₱142

98.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 RSD 119

$1.95 ₱122

-41.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 RSD 73.0

$1.43 ₱89.7

-51.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 RSD 183

$1.02 ₱63.8

72.55%

Eggs

$2.35 RSD 245

$2.06 ₱129

14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 RSD 797

$9.81 ₱615

-22.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 RSD 596

$4.61 ₱289

24.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 RSD 1,103

$7.70 ₱483

37.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 RSD 116

$3.31 ₱207

-66.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 RSD 175

$1.45 ₱90.9

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 RSD 157

$2.36 ₱148

-36.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 RSD 226

$1.54 ₱96.4

40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RSD 81.6

$2.36 ₱148

-66.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RSD 74.5

$1.99 ₱125

-63.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 RSD 66.4

$1.15 ₱72.1

-44.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 RSD 60.4

$0.67 ₱42.15

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 RSD 460

$3.00 ₱188

47.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 RSD 602

$6.35 ₱398

-8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RSD 75.1

$1.31 ₱81.9

-45.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 RSD 134

$1.73 ₱108

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 RSD 192

$0.74 ₱46.32

148.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 RSD 68.6

$0.21 ₱13.11

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 RSD 864

$4.33 ₱271

91.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 RSD 197

$1.33 ₱83.5

42.11%

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

$30.7K RSD 3.2M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

41.27%

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

$24.0K RSD 2.5M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

23.62%

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

$160 RSD 16.7K

$121 ₱7,563

33.08%

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

$19.03 RSD 1,982

$14.45 ₱907

31.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.20 RSD 2,312

$28.29 ₱1,774

-21.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.54 RSD 3,181

$32.68 ₱2,050

-6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 RSD 1,630

$6.39 ₱401

144.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 RSD 488

$5.46 ₱342

-14.29%

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

$252 RSD 26.3K

$273 ₱17.1K

-7.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,989 RSD 519.7K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-38.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 RSD 9,213

$49.57 ₱3,109

78.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.42 RSD 3,898

$24.87 ₱1,560

50.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 RSD 10.3K

$76.6 ₱4,804

29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 RSD 11.6K

$59.3 ₱3,717

88.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 RSD 41.4K

$506 ₱31.7K

-21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 RSD 28.9K

$309 ₱19.4K

-10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 RSD 61.6K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-43.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 RSD 41.4K

$619 ₱38.8K

-35.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 RSD 263.6K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-13.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,884 RSD 196.3K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

0.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 RSD 93.8K

$341 ₱21.4K

164.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

7.2

-28.89%

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

Last update for Nis: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nis

$277 27.1%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 11.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nis

$202 19.7%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 19% $38

Groceries & Markets

Nis

$182 17.8%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 15.8% $29

Eating Out

Nis

$166 16.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 46.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Nis

$152 14.8%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 37.6% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Nis

$40 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 9.3% $3.7

Getting Around

Nis

$5.1 * 0.5%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 200% $10

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 $398 in Nis and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nis pays 164% 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: $34.00 in Nis vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $182 vs $210, with Nis cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇸 Nis

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

6 h ahead of Nis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,470

964,169

💱 Currency

Serbian Dinar RSD din

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to RSD – Serbian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇸 Serbian Dinar (din)

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.6 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.57 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to RSD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nis Cebu 10,170 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nis
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

Nis vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Nis, 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: $398 in Nis versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nis pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,033 per month in Nis versus $934 in Cebu – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nis 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 11% less than in Nis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.