Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semey and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $707 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Semey, Kazakhstan
Cebu, Philippines
Semey
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$707
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$943
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $707 in Semey versus $943 in Cebu.

  • Semey $707
  • Cebu $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Semey versus $1,437 in Cebu.

  • Semey $1,148
  • Cebu $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,588 in Semey versus $1,930 in Cebu.

  • Semey $1,588
  • Cebu $1,930

Living in Semey costs roughly 25% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Semey 48% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.91 ₸2,223
$3.88 ₱246
26.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.29 ₸10.1K
$23.22 ₱1,471
-4.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.48 ₸2,478
$3.90 ₱247
40.51%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ₸778
$2.56 ₱162
-32.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₸346
$1.60 ₱101
-51.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ₸220
$0.51 ₱32.23
-3.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.85 ₸385
$1.76 ₱112
-51.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 ₸643
$2.15 ₱137
-33.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 ₸463
$1.99 ₱126
-48.74%
White Bread (500g)
$0.36 ₸163
$1.37 ₱86.8
-73.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.87 ₸845
$0.95 ₱60.2
96.84%
Eggs
$1.46 ₸660
$2.02 ₱128
-27.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.23 ₸2,365
$9.63 ₱610
-45.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.72 ₸1,682
$4.35 ₱276
-14.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.38 ₸2,435
$7.70 ₱488
-30.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.24 ₸561
$3.30 ₱209
-62.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 ₸776
$1.27 ₱80.2
34.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 ₸787
$2.34 ₱148
-25.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.62 ₸731
$1.51 ₱96.0
7.28%
Potato (1kg)
$0.41 ₸187
$2.23 ₱141
-81.61%
Onion (1kg)
$0.61 ₸276
$1.93 ₱123
-68.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 ₸542
$1.18 ₱74.9
1.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ₸451
$0.65 ₱41.19
53.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.41 ₸1,091
$2.89 ₱183
-16.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.04 ₸3,185
$6.35 ₱402
10.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 ₸608
$1.27 ₱80.6
5.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ₸1,024
$1.64 ₱104
37.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Semey
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸114
$0.23 ₱14.51
8.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$17.39 ₸7,866
$12.24 ₱775
42.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.36 ₸615
$0.82 ₱51.9
65.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 ₸515
$0.20 ₱12.64
470.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.70 ₸3,030
$4.32 ₱274
55.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 ₸288
$1.38 ₱87.3
-53.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K ₸12.9M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
34.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K ₸11.7M
$19.3K ₱1.2M
33.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.68 ₸15.2K
$124 ₱7,865
-72.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.00 ₸4,071
$15.93 ₱1,009
-43.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.82 ₸8,514
$28.07 ₱1,779
-32.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.70 ₸19.3K
$33.41 ₱2,117
27.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.20 ₸5,065
$6.40 ₱405
75.00%
Cinema Ticket
$4.42 ₸1,998
$5.85 ₱371
-24.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$134 ₸60.8K
$271 ₱17.1K
-50.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,445 ₸2.0M
$8,060 ₱510.7K
-44.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.87 ₸13.1K
$48.31 ₱3,061
-40.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.42 ₸11.5K
$24.56 ₱1,556
3.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ₸45.4K
$77.1 ₱4,887
30.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.8 ₸33.8K
$56.5 ₱3,580
32.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Semey
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$346 ₸156.4K
$495 ₱31.4K
-30.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$224 ₸101.1K
$322 ₱20.4K
-30.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$632 ₸285.7K
$990 ₱62.7K
-36.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$489 ₸221.3K
$628 ₱39.8K
-22.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,054 ₸477.0K
$4,459 ₱282.5K
-76.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$869 ₸393.3K
$3,030 ₱192.0K
-71.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Semey
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$343 ₱21.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.25
7.2
167.36%

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

Last update for Semey: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Semey
$224
Cebu
$322 43.9% $98
Groceries & Markets
Semey
$154
Cebu
$206 33.9% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Semey
$103
Cebu
$93 10% $10
Eating Out
Semey
$89
Cebu
$95 7.3% $6.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semey
$62
Cebu
$168 173% $107
Sport & Entertainment
Semey
$52
Cebu
$45 12.5% $6.4
Getting Around
Semey
$25
Cebu
$15 41.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Semey and $495 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Semey vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $206 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Semey
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
22:07 10:07 PM
01:07 1:07 AM
3 h ahead of Semey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,456
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.36 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.2 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Semey Cebu 5,980 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Semey
  • 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
Semey vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Semey cheaper than Cebu?
Semey is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,061 in Semey and $1,415 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 Semey and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $346 in Semey versus $495 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Semey and in Cebu?
All in, you’ll spend $707 per month in Semey versus $943 in Cebu – Semey is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 30% less than in Semey. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Semey or in Cebu?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Semey vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?