Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qena and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Qena: $468 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Qena
🇪🇬 Egypt
$468
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $468 in Qena versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Qena $468
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $746 in Qena versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Qena $746
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,023 in Qena versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Qena $1,023
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Qena costs roughly 49% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qena 65% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.84 E£205
$3.09 ₱195
24.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.99 E£801
$24.22 ₱1,526
-38.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.78 E£309
$3.92 ₱247
47.45%
Cappuccino
$2.00 E£107
$2.51 ₱158
-20.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 E£26.78
$1.59 ₱100
-68.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.18 E£9.56
$0.53 ₱33.47
-66.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.92 E£103
$1.78 ₱112
7.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 E£162
$2.17 ₱137
40.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.97 E£51.7
$1.92 ₱121
-49.48%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 E£40.69
$1.36 ₱85.5
-44.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.66 E£35.14
$1.01 ₱63.6
-34.65%
Eggs
$1.93 E£103
$2.03 ₱128
-4.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.15 E£169
$9.86 ₱622
-68.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.61 E£300
$4.39 ₱277
27.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.89 E£528
$7.60 ₱479
30.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.48 E£79.2
$3.30 ₱208
-55.15%
Banana (1kg)
$0.52 E£27.67
$1.39 ₱87.9
-62.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.67
$2.33 ₱147
-82.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.99
$1.50 ₱94.4
-72.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.34 E£18.28
$2.36 ₱149
-85.59%
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 E£20.87
$1.90 ₱120
-79.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.27 E£14.25
$1.19 ₱75.0
-77.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18 E£9.69
$0.63 ₱39.75
-71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14 E£114
$3.00 ₱189
-28.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.22 E£386
$6.03 ₱380
19.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 E£67.1
$1.23 ₱77.8
2.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 E£91.6
$1.75 ₱110
-2.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Qena
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 E£9.02
$0.25 ₱15.88
-32.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.64 ₱796
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.37 E£20.03
$0.77 ₱48.67
-51.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 E£11.18
$0.23 ₱14.55
-8.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.26 E£67.1
$4.46 ₱281
-71.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£22.75
$1.31 ₱82.9
-67.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.9K E£1.7M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
50.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K E£1.2M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
13.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$25.42 E£1,359
$120 ₱7,577
-78.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.95 E£425
$14.00 ₱883
-43.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.28 E£496
$27.54 ₱1,736
-66.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.61 E£834
$32.33 ₱2,037
-51.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65 ₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.39 E£181
$5.65 ₱356
-40.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$101 E£5,375
$275 ₱17.4K
-63.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$598 E£32.0K
$7,918 ₱499.1K
-92.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.95 E£1,066
$49.33 ₱3,109
-59.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.52 E£1,791
$25.24 ₱1,591
32.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 E£6,579
$77.0 ₱4,851
59.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$28.92 E£1,545
$57.2 ₱3,605
-49.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Qena
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$133 E£7,086
$500 ₱31.5K
-73.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$79.8 E£4,265
$309 ₱19.5K
-74.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$280 E£14.9K
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-74.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$145 E£7,723
$615 ₱38.8K
-76.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$709 E£37.9K
$2,886 ₱181.9K
-75.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$300 E£16.0K
$1,917 ₱120.8K
-84.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Qena
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$346 ₱21.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
7.2
125.14%

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

Last update for Qena: 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
Qena
$138
Cebu
$206 49% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Qena
$92
Cebu
$94 1.6% $1.5
Eating Out
Qena
$90
Cebu
$88 2.4% $2.2
Accommodation & Living
Qena
$80
Cebu
$309 287% $229
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qena
$43
Cebu
$162 279% $119
Sport & Entertainment
Qena
$22
Cebu
$44 94.9% $21
Getting Around
Qena
$2.1 *
Cebu
$16 641% $13

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 $133 in Qena and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Qena vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $138 vs $206 per month, with Qena cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Qena
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
22:18 10:18 PM
03:18 3:18 AM
5 h ahead of Qena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
235,362
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.44 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 59.84 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 63.03 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Qena Cebu 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Qena
  • 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
Qena vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Qena?
Qena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $702 in Qena 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.
What is the rent difference between Qena and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Qena versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Qena and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Qena and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $468 per month in Qena versus $918 in Cebu – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Qena or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Qena gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Qena or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Qena 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.
Which city is safer, Qena or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Qena 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Qena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Qena vs other spots: cost of living compared

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