For one person, living is cheaper in Setif: $407 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Setif and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $407 in Setif versus $918 in Cebu.
Setif $407
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $677 in Setif versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Setif $677
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $946 in Setif versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Setif $946
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Setif costs roughly 56% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Setif70% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.14DZD 420
$3.09₱194
1.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.71DZD 2,103
$24.22₱1,519
-35.14%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.49DZD 467
$3.92₱246
-10.97%
Cappuccino
$0.58DZD 77.6
$2.51₱157
-76.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60DZD 79.8
$1.59₱99.8
-62.26%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22DZD 28.92
$0.53₱33.31
-58.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.44DZD 192
$1.78₱112
-19.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11DZD 282
$2.17₱136
-2.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.67DZD 89.6
$1.92₱120
-65.10%
White Bread(500g)
$0.12DZD 16.26
$1.36₱85.1
-91.18%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.05DZD 141
$1.01₱63.3
3.96%
Eggs
$0.83DZD 111
$2.03₱127
-59.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.45DZD 863
$9.86₱619
-34.58%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.92DZD 525
$4.39₱276
-10.71%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.18DZD 1,898
$7.60₱477
86.58%
Apples(1kg)
$2.09DZD 279
$3.30₱207
-36.67%
Banana(1kg)
$2.82DZD 377
$1.39₱87.4
102.88%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.06DZD 142
$2.33₱146
-54.51%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.80DZD 107
$1.50₱93.9
-46.67%
Potato(1kg)
$0.52DZD 69.5
$2.36₱148
-77.97%
Onion(1kg)
$0.46DZD 61.5
$1.90₱119
-75.79%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.41DZD 54.3
$1.19₱74.6
-65.55%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.17DZD 22.27
$0.63₱39.56
-73.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.72DZD 365
$3.00₱188
-9.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.20DZD 695
$6.03₱378
-13.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23DZD 165
$1.23₱77.4
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86DZD 249
$1.75₱110
6.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Setif
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.12DZD 15.68
$0.25₱15.80
-52.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$5.60DZD 750
$12.64₱792
-55.70%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.57DZD 76.9
$0.77₱48.43
-25.97%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.40DZD 53.0
$0.23₱14.47
73.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.87DZD 652
$4.46₱279
9.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.33DZD 43.65
$1.31₱82.5
-74.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4KDZD 3.7M
$21.2K₱1.3M
28.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.4KDZD 2.7M
$19.1K₱1.2M
6.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$34.14DZD 4,570
$120₱7,540
-71.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.43DZD 1,262
$14.00₱878
-32.64%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.21DZD 1,634
$27.54₱1,727
-55.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$17.30DZD 2,316
$32.33₱2,028
-46.49%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.49DZD 735
$6.65₱417
-17.44%
Cinema Ticket
$4.40DZD 589
$5.65₱354
-22.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$553DZD 74.1K
$275₱17.3K
101.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,406DZD 857.5K
$7,918₱496.6K
-19.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.53DZD 2,213
$49.33₱3,094
-66.49%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.00DZD 2,008
$25.24₱1,583
-40.57%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$33.96DZD 4,545
$77.0₱4,827
-55.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.2DZD 7,522
$57.2₱3,587
-1.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Setif
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$66.0DZD 8,839
$500₱31.3K
-86.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$46.16DZD 6,179
$309₱19.4K
-85.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$130DZD 17.3K
$1,078₱67.6K
-87.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$114DZD 15.3K
$615₱38.6K
-81.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$340DZD 45.4K
$2,886₱181.0K
-88.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,917₱120.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Setif
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$295DZD 39.5K
$346₱21.7K
-14.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.3
7.2
-26.39%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Setif: October 13, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Setif
$159 39%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↑ 29.6%$47
🍽Eating Out
Setif
$57 14%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↑ 54.4%$31
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Setif
$56 13.7%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 190%$106
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Setif
$55 13.4%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↑ 71.5%$39
🏠Accommodation & Living
Setif
$46 11.3%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 569%$263
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Setif
$26 6.4%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 67.1%$18
🚌Getting Around
Setif
$8.6 2.1%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↑ 80.6%$7
🛒Groceries & Markets
Setif
$378 40%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↑ 27.6%$104
🍽Eating Out
Setif
$191 20.2%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↑ 52.7%$101
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Setif
$65 6.9%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 170%$111
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Setif
$122 12.9%
Cebu
$209 11% ↑ 71.5%$87
🏠Accommodation & Living
Setif
$114 12.1%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 439%$501
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Setif
$58 6.1%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 62.7%$36
🚌Getting Around
Setif
$17 1.9%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↑ 81%$14
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $66.0 in Setif and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 17% 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: $16.00 in Setif vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $206 per month, with Setif cheaper across the board.
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
Setif vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Setif?
Setif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Setif or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Setif and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $66.0 in Setif versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Setif and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $407 per month in Setif versus $918 in Cebu – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Setif runs roughly 126% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Setif or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Setif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Setif or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Setif 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.
Which city is safer, Setif or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Setif 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Setif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.