For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $972 in Sivas, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. The total is higher in Sivas despite lower rent and utilities.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sivas and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $972 in Sivas versus $918 in Cebu.
Sivas $972
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Sivas versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Sivas $1,456
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,939 in Sivas versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Sivas $1,939
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Sivas is roughly 6% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Sivas28% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.24₺507
$3.09₱194
231.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9₺3,016
$24.22₱1,525
151.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.58₺524
$3.92₱247
169.90%
Cappuccino
$4.13₺205
$2.51₱158
64.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82₺40.64
$1.59₱100
-48.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31₺15.38
$0.53₱33.43
-41.51%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.79₺88.8
$1.78₱112
0.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06₺102
$2.17₱137
-5.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.98₺48.34
$1.92₱121
-48.96%
White Bread(500g)
$0.77₺38.24
$1.36₱85.4
-43.38%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.51₺124
$1.01₱63.5
148.51%
Eggs
$2.44₺121
$2.03₱128
20.20%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.32₺412
$9.86₱621
-15.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.80₺139
$4.39₱277
-36.22%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.22₺1,001
$7.60₱479
166.05%
Apples(1kg)
$2.00₺99.1
$3.30₱208
-39.39%
Banana(1kg)
$1.65₺81.6
$1.39₱87.8
18.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.83₺41.23
$2.33₱147
-64.38%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.03₺51.2
$1.50₱94.3
-31.33%
Potato(1kg)
$0.42₺20.90
$2.36₱149
-82.20%
Onion(1kg)
$0.29₺14.52
$1.90₱119
-84.74%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.75₺36.91
$1.19₱74.9
-36.97%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67₺32.93
$0.63₱39.71
6.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19₺108
$3.00₱189
-27.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.05₺448
$6.03₱379
50.08%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60₺79.1
$1.23₱77.7
30.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30₺114
$1.75₱110
31.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.50₺24.62
$0.25₱15.86
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$15.33₺759
$12.64₱796
21.28%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.98₺98.2
$0.77₱48.62
157.14%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.60₺29.66
$0.23₱14.53
160.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.65₺329
$4.46₱281
49.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34₺66.5
$1.31₱82.8
2.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.4K₺2.0M
$21.2K₱1.3M
94.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K₺2.0M
$19.1K₱1.2M
107.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$89.3₺4,420
$120₱7,569
-25.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.44₺616
$14.00₱882
-11.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.73₺630
$27.54₱1,734
-53.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.24₺1,497
$32.33₱2,035
-6.46%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.16₺206
$5.65₱356
-26.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$253₺12.5K
$275₱17.3K
-8.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
-
$7,918₱498.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.61₺1,515
$49.33₱3,106
-37.95%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.5₺3,046
$25.24₱1,589
143.78%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$81.1₺4,013
$77.0₱4,846
5.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.2₺2,980
$57.2₱3,601
5.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$457₺22.6K
$500₱31.5K
-8.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$302₺15.0K
$309₱19.4K
-2.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$513₺25.4K
$1,078₱67.9K
-52.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$300₺14.8K
$615₱38.7K
-51.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,886₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,917₱120.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sivas
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$896₺44.4K
$346₱21.8K
159.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
36
7.2
400.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sivas: 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sivas
$302 31.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 2.1%$6.4
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sivas
$209 21.5%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 1.4%$2.9
🍽Eating Out
Sivas
$181 18.6%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 51.2%$93
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sivas
$114 11.8%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 41.3%$47
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sivas
$105 10.8%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 10.6%$11
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sivas
$39 4%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 13.1%$5.1
🚌Getting Around
Sivas
$22 2.3%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 30.2%$6.7
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sivas
$300 15.5%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 105%$316
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sivas
$486 25.1%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 0.6%$3
🍽Eating Out
Sivas
$670 34.6%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 56.4%$378
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sivas
$127 6.6%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 38.5%$49
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sivas
$233 12%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 10.6%$25
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sivas
$77 * 4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 21.8%$17
🚌Getting Around
Sivas
$46 2.4%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 30.6%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $457 in Sivas and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Sivas pays 159% 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: $61.0 in Sivas vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Sivas vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Sivas?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sivas or Cebu?
Average pay runs 159% higher in Sivas, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Sivas and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $457 in Sivas 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 Sivas and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $972 per month in Sivas versus $918 in Cebu – a 6% 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 Cebu runs roughly 21% less than in Sivas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sivas or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $972 in Sivas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sivas. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sivas or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sivas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Sivas or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Sivas 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Sivas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.