Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ragama and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ragama: $503 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Ragama
Learn more

Ragama Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Ragama

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$503

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $503 in Ragama versus $915 in Cebu.

Ragama $503
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $814 in Ragama versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Ragama $814
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,125 in Ragama versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Ragama $1,125
Cebu $1,921

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Ragama 63% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 LKR 1,237

$3.05 ₱192

22.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 LKR 8,154

$24.00 ₱1,511

2.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 LKR 2,528

$3.99 ₱251

91.23%

Cappuccino

$2.50 LKR 828

$2.50 ₱157

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

$0.72 LKR 239

$1.54 ₱97.1

-53.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.7

$0.50 ₱31.37

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 LKR 711

$1.78 ₱112

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 LKR 990

$2.17 ₱136

37.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 LKR 470

$2.00 ₱126

-29.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 LKR 155

$1.37 ₱86.2

-65.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 LKR 226

$1.03 ₱64.9

-33.98%

Eggs

$1.73 LKR 573

$2.03 ₱128

-14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 LKR 4,593

$10.20 ₱642

35.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 LKR 1,571

$4.45 ₱280

6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 LKR 2,428

$7.67 ₱483

-4.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 LKR 2,217

$3.31 ₱208

102.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 LKR 268

$1.46 ₱91.8

-44.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 LKR 1,414

$2.32 ₱146

84.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 LKR 423

$1.49 ₱94.0

-14.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 LKR 341

$2.34 ₱147

-55.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 LKR 254

$1.94 ₱122

-60.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LKR 296

$1.16 ₱73.0

-23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 149

$0.68 ₱42.89

-33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 LKR 3,350

$2.99 ₱188

238.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 LKR 4,336

$6.24 ₱393

109.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 LKR 653

$1.23 ₱77.3

60.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 974

$1.73 ₱109

69.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 123

$0.79 ₱49.96

-53.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 115

$0.22 ₱13.86

59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 308

$4.54 ₱286

-79.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 459

$1.32 ₱82.9

4.55%

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

$44.6K LKR 14.8M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

112.17%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

106.47%

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

$59.5 LKR 19.7K

$119 ₱7,464

-49.79%

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

$4.28 LKR 1,416

$14.22 ₱896

-69.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.08 LKR 6,982

$27.47 ₱1,730

-23.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 LKR 1,474

$5.40 ₱340

-17.59%

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

$37.59 LKR 12.5K

$276 ₱17.4K

-86.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,188 LKR 393.5K

$7,866 ₱495.3K

-84.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.21 LKR 6,030

$49.37 ₱3,108

-63.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.89 LKR 5,595

$24.58 ₱1,548

-31.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 LKR 26.4K

$76.6 ₱4,825

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.92 LKR 13.9K

$58.9 ₱3,706

-28.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

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 Ragama: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ragama

$233 46.4%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 10.1% $24

Eating Out

Ragama

$103 20.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 15.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ragama

$85 16.9%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 88.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Ragama

$71 14%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 33.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Ragama

$8.9 * 1.8%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 384% $34

Getting Around

Ragama

$2.1 * 0.4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 621% $13

Accommodation & Living

Ragama

- * 0%

Cebu

$305 33.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Ragama vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Ragama

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of Ragama

🌤 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 20, 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 20, 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

Ragama Cebu 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ragama
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

Ragama vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ragama is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $754 in Ragama and $1,372 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $503 per month in Ragama versus $915 in Cebu – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Ragama gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Ragama 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, Ragama 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 Ragama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.