Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $458 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$458

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $458 in Skardu versus $943 in Cebu.

Skardu $458
Cebu $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $686 in Skardu versus $1,437 in Cebu.

Skardu $686
Cebu $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $914 in Skardu versus $1,930 in Cebu.

Skardu $914
Cebu $1,930

Living in Skardu costs roughly 52% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skardu 66% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 PKR 617

$3.88 ₱244

-42.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.43 PKR 2,881

$23.22 ₱1,462

-55.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 PKR 1,501

$3.90 ₱246

39.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 PKR 684

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 PKR 1,587

Cappuccino

$1.56 PKR 432

$2.56 ₱161

-39.06%

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

$0.34 PKR 93.1

$1.60 ₱101

-78.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.6

$0.51 ₱32.03

-58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 PKR 219

$1.99 ₱125

-60.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 PKR 176

$1.37 ₱86.3

-53.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 294

$0.95 ₱59.9

11.58%

Eggs

$1.16 PKR 321

$2.02 ₱127

-42.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 PKR 1,638

$9.63 ₱606

-38.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 PKR 702

$4.35 ₱274

-41.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,479

$7.70 ₱485

-30.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 PKR 326

$3.30 ₱207

-64.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 PKR 159

$1.27 ₱79.7

-55.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 PKR 206

$2.34 ₱148

-68.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 PKR 157

$1.51 ₱95.4

-62.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 82.5

$2.23 ₱141

-86.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 101

$1.93 ₱122

-81.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 PKR 126

$1.18 ₱74.4

-61.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 PKR 94.8

$0.65 ₱40.93

-47.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.70 PKR 471

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 PKR 301

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 PKR 619

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 PKR 625

$2.89 ₱182

-21.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 48.00

$0.23 ₱14.42

-26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.40 PKR 3,149

$12.24 ₱771

-6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 PKR 269

$0.82 ₱51.5

18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 PKR 222

$0.20 ₱12.56

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 PKR 466

$4.32 ₱272

-61.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 PKR 367

$1.38 ₱86.7

-3.62%

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

$20.4K PKR 5.6M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-3.72%

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

$22.4K PKR 6.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

15.94%

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

$108 PKR 29.8K

$124 ₱7,816

-12.99%

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

$3.71 PKR 1,025

$15.93 ₱1,003

-76.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.65 PKR 3,773

$28.07 ₱1,768

-51.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.64 PKR 4,045

$33.41 ₱2,104

-56.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.28 PKR 2,011

$6.40 ₱403

13.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 PKR 1,167

$5.85 ₱368

-27.86%

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

$40.75 PKR 11.3K

$271 ₱17.0K

-84.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$947 PKR 261.6K

$8,060 ₱507.5K

-88.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.49 PKR 4,004

$48.31 ₱3,042

-70.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.16 PKR 6,952

$24.56 ₱1,546

2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 PKR 19.2K

$77.1 ₱4,856

-9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.52 PKR 9,539

$56.5 ₱3,558

-38.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.0K

$495 ₱31.2K

-72.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.8 PKR 22.0K

$322 ₱20.3K

-75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 PKR 83.2K

$990 ₱62.4K

-69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 PKR 46.7K

$628 ₱39.6K

-73.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$847 PKR 234.0K

$4,459 ₱280.7K

-81.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$555 PKR 153.5K

$3,030 ₱190.8K

-81.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

80.56%

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

Last update for Skardu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skardu

$125 27.4%

Cebu

$168 17.8% 34.1% $43

Groceries & Markets

Skardu

$92 20.2%

Cebu

$206 21.8% 123% $113

Accommodation & Living

Skardu

$80 17.4%

Cebu

$322 34.1% 303% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Skardu

$65 14.1%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 43.7% $28

Eating Out

Skardu

$55 12%

Cebu

$95 10.1% 72.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Skardu

$23 5.1%

Cebu

$45 4.8% 95.5% $22

Getting Around

Skardu

$17 3.7%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 12.4% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $134 in Skardu and $495 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $10 in Skardu vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $92 vs $206 per month, with Skardu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Skardu

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:35 11:35 AM

14:35 2:35 PM

3 h ahead of Skardu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

964,169

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skardu Cebu 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Skardu
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

Skardu vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skardu is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $686 in Skardu 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $134 in Skardu versus $495 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $458 per month in Skardu versus $943 in Cebu – Skardu is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Skardu runs roughly 7% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

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.

Safety-wise, Skardu and Cebu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.