Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,403 in Sohar, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Sohar
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Sohar Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Sohar

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,403

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,403 in Sohar versus $934 in Cebu.

Sohar $1,403
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,068 in Sohar versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Sohar $2,068
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Sohar versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Sohar $2,734
Cebu $1,896

Living in Sohar is roughly 50% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sohar is 5% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 OMR 2.50

$3.03 ₱190

113.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.49 OMR 7.89

$23.48 ₱1,473

-12.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 OMR 3.54

$4.09 ₱256

124.69%

Cappuccino

$4.77 OMR 1.84

$2.52 ₱158

89.29%

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

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.54 ₱96.9

-58.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 OMR 0.11

$0.49 ₱30.98

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.24 OMR 5.10

$1.79 ₱112

639.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.46 OMR 5.57

$2.26 ₱142

539.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 OMR 0.81

$1.95 ₱122

8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$1.43 ₱89.7

-22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 OMR 1.24

$1.02 ₱63.8

216.67%

Eggs

$2.74 OMR 1.05

$2.06 ₱129

33.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 OMR 5.12

$9.81 ₱615

35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 OMR 3.58

$4.61 ₱289

101.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 OMR 5.60

$7.70 ₱483

88.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$3.31 ₱207

-2.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 OMR 0.84

$1.45 ₱90.9

51.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 OMR 0.96

$2.36 ₱148

5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$1.54 ₱96.4

-20.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$2.36 ₱148

-26.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.99 ₱125

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 OMR 0.66

$1.15 ₱72.1

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 OMR 0.35

$0.67 ₱42.15

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 OMR 2.25

$3.00 ₱188

94.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.80 OMR 9.93

$6.35 ₱398

306.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 OMR 1.46

$1.31 ₱81.9

189.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.71 OMR 3.35

$1.73 ₱108

403.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$0.25 ₱15.78

952.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 OMR 19.65

$12.65 ₱793

303.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 OMR 1.23

$0.74 ₱46.32

331.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$0.21 ₱13.11

652.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 OMR 3.93

$4.33 ₱271

135.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.33 ₱83.5

-54.89%

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

$18.4K OMR 7,101

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-15.26%

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

$20.3K OMR 7,830

$19.4K ₱1.2M

4.84%

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

$102 OMR 39.41

$121 ₱7,563

-15.12%

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

$29.06 OMR 11.19

$14.45 ₱907

101.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.2 OMR 34.72

$28.29 ₱1,774

218.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 OMR 19.02

$32.68 ₱2,050

51.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 OMR 4.45

$5.46 ₱342

111.72%

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

$303 OMR 117

$273 ₱17.1K

10.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,070 OMR 2,722

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-13.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 OMR 19.30

$49.57 ₱3,109

1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.95 OMR 16.92

$24.87 ₱1,560

76.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 OMR 30.18

$76.6 ₱4,804

2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.23 OMR 17.80

$59.3 ₱3,717

-21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 OMR 194

$506 ₱31.7K

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 OMR 146

$309 ₱19.4K

22.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 OMR 319

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 OMR 256

$619 ₱38.8K

7.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,178 OMR 454

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-59.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 OMR 295

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-59.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,514 OMR 968

$341 ₱21.4K

637.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

7.2

-12.08%

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

Last update for Sohar: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sohar

$378 26.5%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 18.2% $69

Groceries & Markets

Sohar

$346 24.3%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 39.2% $136

Eating Out

Sohar

$235 16.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 62.5% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sohar

$222 15.6%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 26.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sohar

$98 6.9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 3.9% $3.8

Getting Around

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 78.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Sohar

$73 5.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 39.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Sohar and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 637% 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: $20.00 in Sohar vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $210, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sohar

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

4 h ahead of Sohar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

221,605

964,169

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.32 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.432 OMR (1 OMR = 2.32 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sohar Cebu 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sohar
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

Sohar vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 637% higher in Sohar, 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: $503 in Sohar versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,403 per month in Sohar versus $934 in Cebu – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 304% less than in Sohar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,403 in Sohar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sohar. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sohar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sohar 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.