Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polonnaruwa and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Polonnaruwa: $506 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Polonnaruwa
Learn more

Polonnaruwa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Polonnaruwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$506

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $506 in Polonnaruwa versus $918 in Cebu.

Polonnaruwa $506
Cebu $918

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

Polonnaruwa $821
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,136 in Polonnaruwa versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Polonnaruwa $1,136
Cebu $1,900

Living in Polonnaruwa costs roughly 45% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Polonnaruwa 63% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 LKR 1,472

$3.09 ₱194

43.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.02 LKR 7,957

$24.22 ₱1,525

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 LKR 2,495

$3.92 ₱247

92.09%

Cappuccino

$2.39 LKR 792

$2.51 ₱158

-4.78%

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

$0.68 LKR 226

$1.59 ₱100

-57.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.53 ₱33.43

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 LKR 718

$1.78 ₱112

21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 LKR 1,026

$2.17 ₱137

42.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 516

$1.92 ₱121

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$1.36 ₱85.4

-58.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 LKR 250

$1.01 ₱63.5

-24.75%

Eggs

$1.59 LKR 526

$2.03 ₱128

-21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 LKR 4,505

$9.86 ₱621

37.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 LKR 1,618

$4.39 ₱277

11.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 LKR 2,527

$7.60 ₱479

0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 LKR 2,213

$3.30 ₱208

102.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 260

$1.39 ₱87.8

-43.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 LKR 1,517

$2.33 ₱147

96.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 LKR 402

$1.50 ₱94.3

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 343

$2.36 ₱149

-55.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 271

$1.90 ₱119

-56.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 LKR 288

$1.19 ₱74.9

-26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.63 ₱39.71

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 LKR 3,447

$3.00 ₱189

247.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 LKR 4,515

$6.03 ₱379

126.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 LKR 657

$1.23 ₱77.7

60.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 LKR 1,014

$1.75 ₱110

74.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$0.77 ₱48.62

-48.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.23 ₱14.53

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 288

$4.46 ₱281

-80.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 LKR 455

$1.31 ₱82.8

4.58%

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

$36.3K LKR 12.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

71.00%

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

$41.1K LKR 13.6M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

114.73%

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

$53.9 LKR 17.8K

$120 ₱7,569

-55.20%

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

$4.26 LKR 1,412

$14.00 ₱882

-69.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.44 LKR 6,770

$27.54 ₱1,734

-25.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 LKR 1,485

$5.65 ₱356

-20.71%

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

$38.00 LKR 12.6K

$275 ₱17.3K

-86.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,192 LKR 394.8K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-84.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.97 LKR 5,953

$49.33 ₱3,106

-63.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.63 LKR 5,508

$25.24 ₱1,589

-34.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

$77.0 ₱4,846

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.13 LKR 14.0K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-26.35%

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)

$346 ₱21.8K

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 Polonnaruwa: 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

Polonnaruwa

$238 47.1%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 13.5% $32

Eating Out

Polonnaruwa

$108 21.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 18% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polonnaruwa

$79 15.5%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 106% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Polonnaruwa

$70 13.9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 33.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Polonnaruwa

$9 * 1.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 386% $35

Getting Around

Polonnaruwa

$2.3 * 0.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 589% $13

Accommodation & Living

Polonnaruwa

- * 0%

Cebu

$309 33.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Polonnaruwa vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Polonnaruwa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

15:53 3:53 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Polonnaruwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

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

Polonnaruwa Cebu 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Polonnaruwa
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

Polonnaruwa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polonnaruwa is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $759 in Polonnaruwa and $1,377 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 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $506 per month in Polonnaruwa versus $918 in Cebu – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Polonnaruwa 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, Polonnaruwa 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 Polonnaruwa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.