Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,059 in Salalah, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Salalah despite lower rent and utilities.

52

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
Learn more

Salalah Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,059

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,059 in Salalah versus $934 in Cebu.

Salalah $1,059
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Salalah versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Salalah $1,599
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,138 in Salalah versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Salalah $2,138
Cebu $1,896

Living in Salalah is roughly 13% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salalah 21% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 OMR 2.05

$3.03 ₱190

75.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.43 OMR 10.17

$23.48 ₱1,473

12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.97 OMR 4.99

$4.09 ₱256

217.11%

Cappuccino

$6.09 OMR 2.34

$2.52 ₱158

141.67%

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

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$1.54 ₱96.9

-41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.49 ₱30.98

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 OMR 3.59

$1.79 ₱112

421.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.30 OMR 3.96

$2.26 ₱142

355.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 OMR 0.74

$1.95 ₱122

-1.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$1.43 ₱89.7

-13.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 OMR 1.03

$1.02 ₱63.8

160.78%

Eggs

$1.82 OMR 0.70

$2.06 ₱129

-11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 OMR 1.76

$9.81 ₱615

-53.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.62 OMR 1.78

$4.61 ₱289

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 OMR 2.55

$7.70 ₱483

-14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 OMR 0.74

$3.31 ₱207

-42.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.45 ₱90.9

28.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$2.36 ₱148

-10.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.54 ₱96.4

21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 OMR 0.59

$2.36 ₱148

-35.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.99 ₱125

-48.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 OMR 0.40

$1.15 ₱72.1

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 OMR 0.18

$0.67 ₱42.15

-28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 OMR 2.25

$3.00 ₱188

94.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 OMR 7.60

$6.35 ₱398

210.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 OMR 1.47

$1.31 ₱81.9

190.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 OMR 1.83

$1.73 ₱108

175.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$0.25 ₱15.78

428.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 OMR 21.27

$12.65 ₱793

336.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$0.74 ₱46.32

212.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$0.21 ₱13.11

528.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 OMR 4.42

$4.33 ₱271

165.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.33 ₱83.5

-54.14%

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

$20.8K OMR 8,004

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-4.48%

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

$18.3K OMR 7,048

$19.4K ₱1.2M

-5.63%

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

$78.1 OMR 30.07

$121 ₱7,563

-35.22%

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

$49.55 OMR 19.08

$14.45 ₱907

242.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 OMR 28.59

$28.29 ₱1,774

162.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 OMR 15.24

$32.68 ₱2,050

21.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 OMR 10.10

$6.39 ₱401

310.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 OMR 3.01

$5.46 ₱342

43.04%

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

$106 OMR 40.78

$273 ₱17.1K

-61.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,942 OMR 747

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-76.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.74 OMR 11.06

$49.57 ₱3,109

-42.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.76 OMR 11.84

$24.87 ₱1,560

23.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 OMR 22.23

$76.6 ₱4,804

-24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 OMR 17.79

$59.3 ₱3,717

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 OMR 96.5

$506 ₱31.7K

-50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 OMR 79.0

$309 ₱19.4K

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 OMR 247

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-39.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 OMR 147

$619 ₱38.8K

-38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 OMR 763

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-32.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,240 OMR 477

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-33.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,771 OMR 682

$341 ₱21.4K

419.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

7.2

-36.39%

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

Last update for Salalah: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Salalah

$229 21.6%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 8.3% $19

Eating Out

Salalah

$226 21.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 61% $138

Accommodation & Living

Salalah

$205 19.3%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 50.7% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salalah

$202 19%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 19.1% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Salalah

$74 6.9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 28.7% $21

Getting Around

Salalah

$69 6.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 77.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Salalah

$55 5.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 21% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Salalah and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 419% 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: $26.00 in Salalah vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Salalah

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

4 h ahead of Salalah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,469

964,169

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salalah Cebu 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Salalah
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

Salalah vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 419% higher in Salalah, 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: $251 in Salalah versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,059 per month in Salalah versus $934 in Cebu – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 337% less than in Salalah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,059 in Salalah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Salalah. 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 Salalah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Salalah 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 13% less than in Salalah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.