Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timika and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Timika: $618 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Timika
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Timika Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Timika

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$618

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $618 in Timika versus $934 in Cebu.

Timika $618
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in Timika versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Timika $978
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,337 in Timika versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Timika $1,337
Cebu $1,896

Living in Timika costs roughly 34% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Timika 54% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.4K

$3.03 ₱191

-43.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 Rp 245.6K

$23.48 ₱1,476

-41.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.25 Rp 58.2K

$4.09 ₱257

-20.54%

Cappuccino

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

$2.52 ₱158

-41.27%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,522

$1.54 ₱97.2

-72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,109

$0.49 ₱31.06

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

$1.79 ₱113

31.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 Rp 62.6K

$2.26 ₱142

54.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.95 ₱122

-40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 Rp 18.9K

$1.43 ₱89.9

-25.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$1.02 ₱64.0

-14.71%

Eggs

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

$2.06 ₱129

-28.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 Rp 129.3K

$9.81 ₱617

-26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 Rp 51.9K

$4.61 ₱290

-37.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 Rp 132.3K

$7.70 ₱484

-3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

$3.31 ₱208

-34.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

$1.45 ₱91.2

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 Rp 29.6K

$2.36 ₱148

-30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$1.54 ₱96.6

-21.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.0K

$2.36 ₱148

-45.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.5K

$1.99 ₱125

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$1.15 ₱72.3

-37.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,063

$0.67 ₱42.26

-41.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 Rp 46.8K

$3.00 ₱189

-12.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.61 Rp 368.8K

$6.35 ₱399

224.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 Rp 33.5K

$1.31 ₱82.1

42.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.4K

$1.73 ₱109

72.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,246

$0.25 ₱15.82

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,519

$0.74 ₱46.44

-35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,173

$0.21 ₱13.15

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$4.33 ₱272

-35.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.33 ₱83.7

-40.60%

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

$23.0K Rp 410.7M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

5.48%

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

$31.0K Rp 553.9M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

59.61%

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

$65.1 Rp 1.2M

$121 ₱7,583

-46.03%

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

$4.39 Rp 78.5K

$14.45 ₱909

-69.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.32 Rp 345.7K

$28.29 ₱1,779

-31.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.53 Rp 349.3K

$32.68 ₱2,055

-40.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.13 Rp 145.5K

$6.39 ₱402

27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$2.76 Rp 49.4K

$5.46 ₱343

-49.45%

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

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

$273 ₱17.2K

-66.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,610 Rp 136.2M

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-6.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.09 Rp 788.8K

$49.57 ₱3,117

-11.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.50 Rp 509.8K

$24.87 ₱1,564

14.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

$76.6 ₱4,817

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 Rp 1.3M

$59.3 ₱3,727

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 Rp 4.0M

$506 ₱31.8K

-55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$309 ₱19.5K

-52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 Rp 9.9M

$1,052 ₱66.1K

-47.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 Rp 6.4M

$619 ₱38.9K

-42.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 Rp 21.0M

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-59.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$812 Rp 14.5M

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-56.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

7.2

31.39%

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

Last update for Timika: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Timika

$193 31.2%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 9% $17

Accommodation & Living

Timika

$148 24%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 109% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Timika

$98 15.8%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 3.5% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timika

$89 14.3%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 84% $75

Eating Out

Timika

$63 10.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 41.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Timika

$25 4.1%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 74.1% $19

Getting Around

Timika

$3.4 * 0.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 358% $12

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 $225 in Timika and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Timika vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $210 per month, with Timika cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Timika

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

1 h behind Timika

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,000

964,169

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Timika Cebu 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Timika
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

Timika vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timika is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $927 in Timika and $1,401 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: $225 in Timika versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $618 per month in Timika versus $934 in Cebu – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Timika gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Timika 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, Timika 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 Timika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.