Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sur and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,151 in Sur, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Sur despite lower rent and utilities.

56

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,151

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,151 in Sur versus $918 in Cebu.

Sur $1,151
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,657 in Sur versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Sur $1,657
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Sur versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Sur $2,163
Cebu $1,900

Living in Sur is roughly 25% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sur 15% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 OMR 1.54

$3.09 ₱194

29.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 OMR 10.21

$24.22 ₱1,525

9.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 OMR 2.93

$3.92 ₱247

93.88%

Cappuccino

$4.98 OMR 1.92

$2.51 ₱158

98.41%

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

$0.74 OMR 0.29

$1.59 ₱100

-53.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.53 ₱33.43

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.86 OMR 4.95

$1.78 ₱112

622.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.11 OMR 5.05

$2.17 ₱137

504.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$1.92 ₱121

-17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.36 ₱85.4

-8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$1.01 ₱63.5

72.28%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$2.03 ₱128

-3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 OMR 2.86

$9.86 ₱621

-24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 OMR 2.66

$4.39 ₱277

57.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.96 OMR 3.45

$7.60 ₱479

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$3.30 ₱208

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 OMR 0.52

$1.39 ₱87.8

-3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 OMR 0.41

$2.33 ₱147

-54.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$1.50 ₱94.3

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 OMR 0.29

$2.36 ₱149

-67.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$1.90 ₱119

-72.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 OMR 0.59

$1.19 ₱74.9

27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$0.63 ₱39.71

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 OMR 2.46

$3.00 ₱189

113.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.37 OMR 5.92

$6.03 ₱379

154.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.90 OMR 2.27

$1.23 ₱77.7

379.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 OMR 3.96

$1.75 ₱110

488.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 OMR 1.29

$0.77 ₱48.62

333.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$0.23 ₱14.53

1043.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 OMR 2.93

$4.46 ₱281

70.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 OMR 0.22

$1.31 ₱82.8

-56.49%

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

$25.2K OMR 9,710

$21.2K ₱1.3M

18.72%

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

$22.3K OMR 8,603

$19.1K ₱1.2M

16.71%

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

$80.7 OMR 31.07

$120 ₱7,569

-32.87%

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

$23.85 OMR 9.18

$14.00 ₱882

70.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 OMR 26.81

$27.54 ₱1,734

152.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.9 OMR 32.70

$32.33 ₱2,035

162.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$5.65 ₱356

85.31%

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

$285 OMR 110

$275 ₱17.3K

3.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,440 OMR 2,479

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-18.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 OMR 21.67

$49.33 ₱3,106

14.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 OMR 16.49

$25.24 ₱1,589

69.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 OMR 34.47

$77.0 ₱4,846

16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.26

$57.2 ₱3,601

51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 OMR 101

$500 ₱31.5K

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 OMR 104

$309 ₱19.4K

-12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 OMR 182

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-56.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 OMR 149

$615 ₱38.7K

-37.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$562 OMR 217

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-80.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$529 OMR 204

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-72.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,638 OMR 1,015

$346 ₱21.8K

662.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

7.2

-27.08%

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

Last update for Sur: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sur

$271 23.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 14.1% $38

Groceries & Markets

Sur

$251 21.8%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 18.1% $45

Eating Out

Sur

$209 18.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 57.8% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sur

$174 15.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 7.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Sur

$124 10.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 24.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Sur

$106 9.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 58.8% $62

Getting Around

Sur

$16 * 1.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 5.5% $0.9

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 $263 in Sur and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 662% 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: $27.00 in Sur vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sur

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

16:27 4:27 PM

4 h ahead of Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

964,169

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sur Cebu 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sur
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

Sur vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 662% higher in Sur, 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: $263 in Sur versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Sur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Sur versus $918 in Cebu – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,151 in Sur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sur. 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 Sur, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sur 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 25% less than in Sur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.