Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shumen and Cebu

For one person, living costs are similar in Shumen and in Cebu: $906 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
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Shumen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$906

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $906 in Shumen versus $918 in Cebu.

Shumen $906
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Shumen versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Shumen $1,409
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,912 in Shumen versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Shumen $1,912
Cebu $1,900

Living in Shumen costs roughly 1% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shumen 33% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.24 BGN 16.07

$3.09 ₱195

199.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.55 BGN 58.4

$24.22 ₱1,525

38.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 BGN 15.44

$3.92 ₱247

126.28%

Cappuccino

$1.73 BGN 3.01

$2.51 ₱158

-31.08%

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

$1.48 BGN 2.58

$1.59 ₱100

-6.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 BGN 1.75

$0.53 ₱33.45

88.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 BGN 5.08

$1.78 ₱112

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 BGN 4.93

$2.17 ₱137

30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.15

$1.92 ₱121

-5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 BGN 1.79

$1.36 ₱85.5

-24.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 BGN 4.22

$1.01 ₱63.6

140.59%

Eggs

$2.88 BGN 5.02

$2.03 ₱128

41.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 BGN 15.49

$9.86 ₱621

-9.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 BGN 8.85

$4.39 ₱277

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 BGN 15.23

$7.60 ₱479

15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.62

$3.30 ₱208

-54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 BGN 3.58

$1.39 ₱87.8

48.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 BGN 3.80

$2.33 ₱147

-6.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 BGN 3.95

$1.50 ₱94.3

51.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 BGN 3.54

$2.36 ₱149

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 BGN 2.28

$1.90 ₱119

-31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 BGN 1.44

$1.19 ₱74.9

-30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 BGN 1.30

$0.63 ₱39.73

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.41

$3.00 ₱189

22.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BGN 12.50

$6.03 ₱380

19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 BGN 1.66

$1.23 ₱77.7

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BGN 2.44

$1.75 ₱110

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 BGN 1.64

$0.25 ₱15.87

276.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.92 BGN 45.10

$12.64 ₱796

105.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 BGN 3.04

$0.77 ₱48.64

127.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 BGN 0.84

$0.23 ₱14.54

108.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 BGN 2.64

$1.31 ₱82.8

16.03%

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

$30.3K BGN 52.8K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

42.76%

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

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

15.77%

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

$133 BGN 231

$120 ₱7,573

10.37%

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

$17.28 BGN 30.07

$14.00 ₱882

23.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.28 BGN 30.06

$27.54 ₱1,735

-37.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 BGN 67.1

$32.33 ₱2,036

19.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 BGN 19.72

$6.65 ₱419

70.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 BGN 11.82

$5.65 ₱356

20.18%

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

$570 BGN 991

$275 ₱17.3K

106.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K BGN 17.8K

$7,918 ₱498.8K

29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 BGN 84.1

$49.33 ₱3,107

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 BGN 89.2

$25.24 ₱1,590

103.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 BGN 164

$77.0 ₱4,848

22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 BGN 105

$57.2 ₱3,603

5.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 BGN 455

$500 ₱31.5K

-47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 BGN 306

$309 ₱19.5K

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 BGN 748

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-60.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BGN 567

$615 ₱38.8K

-47.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 BGN 2,197

$2,886 ₱181.8K

-56.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 BGN 1,716

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-48.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 BGN 1,747

$346 ₱21.8K

190.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

7.2

-54.86%

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

Last update for Shumen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shumen

$211 23.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 2.4% $5

Accommodation & Living

Shumen

$176 19.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 75.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shumen

$167 18.5%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 3.3% $5.5

Eating Out

Shumen

$151 16.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 41.7% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Shumen

$114 12.6%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 17.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Shumen

$52 5.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 16.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Shumen

$34 3.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 54% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Shumen and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 190% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Shumen vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Shumen

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

5 h ahead of Shumen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,504

964,169

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shumen Cebu 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Shumen
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

Shumen vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 190% higher in Shumen, 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: $262 in Shumen versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $906 per month in Shumen 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 Shumen runs roughly 105% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Shumen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Shumen 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.

Safety-wise, Shumen 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 Shumen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.