Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Satu Mare and Cebu

For one person, living costs are similar in Satu Mare and in Cebu: $922 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$922

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Satu Mare versus $918 in Cebu.

Satu Mare $922
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,392 in Satu Mare versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Satu Mare $1,392
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Satu Mare versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Satu Mare $1,862
Cebu $1,900

Living in Satu Mare is roughly 1% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Satu Mare 32% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 RON 39.26

$3.09 ₱194

168.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.02 RON 152

$24.22 ₱1,525

32.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.23 RON 29.50

$3.92 ₱247

58.93%

Cappuccino

$2.48 RON 11.73

$2.51 ₱158

-1.20%

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

$1.49 RON 7.07

$1.59 ₱100

-6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 RON 6.14

$0.53 ₱33.43

145.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 RON 8.98

$1.78 ₱112

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 RON 11.65

$2.17 ₱137

13.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 RON 5.29

$1.92 ₱121

-41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RON 4.83

$1.36 ₱85.4

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.42

$1.01 ₱63.5

13.86%

Eggs

$2.66 RON 12.58

$2.03 ₱128

31.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 RON 33.24

$9.86 ₱621

-28.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 RON 34.71

$4.39 ₱277

67.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.74 RON 50.8

$7.60 ₱479

41.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 RON 5.12

$3.30 ₱208

-67.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.29

$1.39 ₱87.8

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.82

$2.33 ₱147

-47.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.66

$1.50 ₱94.3

-6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.51

$2.36 ₱149

-50.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 RON 6.32

$1.90 ₱119

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.47

$1.19 ₱74.9

-21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 RON 3.26

$0.63 ₱39.71

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 RON 25.11

$3.00 ₱189

77.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 RON 29.18

$6.03 ₱379

2.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 RON 5.73

$1.23 ₱77.7

-1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 RON 8.33

$1.75 ₱110

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 RON 2.57

$0.25 ₱15.86

116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.25 RON 110

$12.64 ₱796

83.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 RON 4.00

$0.77 ₱48.62

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 RON 3.90

$0.23 ₱14.53

256.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 RON 37.54

$4.46 ₱281

77.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 RON 7.36

$1.31 ₱82.8

19.08%

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

$22.3K RON 105.4K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

4.91%

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

$24.6K RON 116.6K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

28.70%

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

$123 RON 581

$120 ₱7,569

2.09%

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

$7.13 RON 33.74

$14.00 ₱882

-49.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.26 RON 34.37

$27.54 ₱1,734

-73.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 RON 199

$32.33 ₱2,035

29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 RON 49.84

$6.65 ₱419

58.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 RON 28.92

$5.65 ₱356

8.14%

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

$154 RON 728

$275 ₱17.3K

-44.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,826 RON 18.1K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-51.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 RON 287

$49.33 ₱3,106

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.58 RON 130

$25.24 ₱1,589

9.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 RON 397

$77.0 ₱4,846

8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 RON 334

$57.2 ₱3,601

23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 RON 1,545

$500 ₱31.5K

-34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 RON 1,226

$309 ₱19.4K

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 RON 3,093

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 RON 1,904

$615 ₱38.7K

-34.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$984 RON 4,654

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-65.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,043 RON 4,937

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-45.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 RON 3,076

$346 ₱21.8K

87.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

7.2

-2.08%

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

Last update for Satu Mare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Satu Mare

$259 28.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 19.2% $50

Groceries & Markets

Satu Mare

$192 20.8%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 7.2% $14

Eating Out

Satu Mare

$140 15.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 37.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Satu Mare

$137 14.9%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 18% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Satu Mare

$109 11.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 14% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Satu Mare

$54 5.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 19.5% $11

Getting Around

Satu Mare

$30 3.3%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 48.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $327 in Satu Mare and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Satu Mare pays 88% 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: $32.00 in Satu Mare vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $206, with Satu Mare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

21:44 9:44 PM

5 h ahead of Satu Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,411

964,169

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Satu Mare Cebu 9,970 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Satu Mare
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

Satu Mare vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Satu Mare, 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: $327 in Satu Mare versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $922 per month in Satu Mare versus $918 in Cebu – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 84% less than in Satu Mare. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Safety-wise, Satu Mare 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 1% less than in Satu Mare. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.