Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,404 in Sabah Al Salem, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
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Sabah Al Salem Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,404

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Sabah Al Salem versus $934 in Cebu.

Sabah Al Salem $1,404
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,448 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Sabah Al Salem $2,448
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,492 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Sabah Al Salem $3,492
Cebu $1,896

Living in Sabah Al Salem is roughly 50% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sabah Al Salem is 5% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 KWD 2.58

$3.03 ₱191

173.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 KWD 21.87

$23.48 ₱1,476

200.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 KWD 2.91

$4.09 ₱257

128.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 KWD 0.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 KWD 0.99

Cappuccino

$6.51 KWD 2.02

$2.52 ₱158

158.33%

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

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$1.54 ₱97.2

-68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KWD 0.16

$0.49 ₱31.06

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 KWD 0.59

$1.95 ₱122

-2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.43 ₱89.9

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 KWD 0.66

$1.02 ₱64.0

107.84%

Eggs

$3.04 KWD 0.94

$2.06 ₱129

47.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 KWD 2.28

$9.81 ₱617

-25.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 KWD 1.73

$4.61 ₱290

20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 KWD 3.19

$7.70 ₱484

33.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 KWD 0.74

$3.31 ₱208

-27.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$1.45 ₱91.2

29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 KWD 0.40

$2.36 ₱148

-45.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$1.54 ₱96.6

-3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.41

$2.36 ₱148

-44.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 KWD 0.28

$1.99 ₱125

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.15 ₱72.3

43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.67 ₱42.26

-29.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.62 KWD 1.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 KWD 0.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 KWD 0.78

$3.00 ₱189

-16.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KWD 0.25

$0.25 ₱15.82

216.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 KWD 35.09

$12.65 ₱796

793.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 KWD 1.14

$0.74 ₱46.44

397.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 KWD 0.86

$0.21 ₱13.15

1223.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.47 KWD 4.49

$4.33 ₱272

234.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.33 ₱83.7

-75.19%

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

$18.8K KWD 5,851

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-13.43%

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

$18.8K KWD 5,837

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-3.08%

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

$38.57 KWD 11.97

$121 ₱7,583

-68.01%

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

$24.68 KWD 7.66

$14.45 ₱909

70.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.63 KWD 12.31

$28.29 ₱1,779

40.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$131 KWD 40.69

$32.68 ₱2,055

300.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.05 KWD 12.13

$6.39 ₱402

511.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 KWD 3.58

$5.46 ₱343

110.99%

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

$283 KWD 87.8

$273 ₱17.2K

3.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,527 KWD 2,337

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-7.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.19 KWD 11.86

$49.57 ₱3,117

-22.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.92 KWD 12.09

$24.87 ₱1,564

56.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 KWD 30.47

$76.6 ₱4,817

28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 KWD 27.67

$59.3 ₱3,727

50.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 KWD 246

$506 ₱31.8K

56.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 KWD 173

$309 ₱19.5K

80.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 KWD 549

$1,052 ₱66.1K

68.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 KWD 411

$619 ₱38.9K

114.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,960 KWD 919

$341 ₱21.5K

767.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

7.2

-9.31%

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

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sabah Al Salem

$557 38.9%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 44.5% $248

Groceries & Markets

Sabah Al Salem

$187 13.1%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 12.3% $23

Eating Out

Sabah Al Salem

$176 12.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 49.9% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Sabah Al Salem

$154 10.8%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 71.7% $110

Getting Around

Sabah Al Salem

$134 9.4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 88.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.3%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 20.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sabah Al Salem

$103 7.2%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 58.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $792 in Sabah Al Salem and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 768% 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: $70.0 in Sabah Al Salem vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $187 vs $210, with Sabah Al Salem cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

18:46 6:46 PM

5 h ahead of Sabah Al Salem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,818

964,169

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.22 USD

1 KWD = 2.87 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.311 KWD (1 KWD = 3.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.348 KWD (1 KWD = 2.87 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.47 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sabah Al Salem Cebu 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sabah Al Salem
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

Sabah Al Salem vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 768% higher in Sabah Al Salem, 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: $792 in Sabah Al Salem versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Sabah Al Salem versus $934 in Cebu – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 793% less than in Sabah Al Salem. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,404 in Sabah Al Salem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sabah Al Salem. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Sabah Al Salem 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 50% less than in Sabah Al Salem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.