Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zahlah and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $997 in Zahlah, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Zahlah despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Zahlah
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Zahlah Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Zahlah

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$997

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $997 in Zahlah versus $918 in Cebu.

Zahlah $997
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Zahlah versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Zahlah $1,599
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Zahlah versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Zahlah $2,201
Cebu $1,900

Living in Zahlah is roughly 9% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zahlah 26% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 LBP 1.1M

$3.09 ₱194

287.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 LBP 6.2M

$24.22 ₱1,525

187.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 LBP 881.9K

$3.92 ₱247

151.28%

Cappuccino

$4.50 LBP 402.9K

$2.51 ₱158

79.28%

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

$2.40 LBP 214.6K

$1.59 ₱100

50.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 LBP 81.3K

$0.53 ₱33.43

71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 LBP 448.5K

$1.78 ₱112

181.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 LBP 432.6K

$2.17 ₱137

122.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 LBP 173.8K

$1.92 ₱121

1.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 LBP 77.6K

$1.36 ₱85.4

-36.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 LBP 200.7K

$1.01 ₱63.5

121.78%

Eggs

$3.55 LBP 317.8K

$2.03 ₱128

74.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 LBP 1.0M

$9.86 ₱621

14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 LBP 935.8K

$4.39 ₱277

138.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 LBP 1.3M

$7.60 ₱479

94.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 LBP 269.1K

$3.30 ₱208

-8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 LBP 147.4K

$1.39 ₱87.8

18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 LBP 144.8K

$2.33 ₱147

-30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LBP 132.1K

$1.50 ₱94.3

-1.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 LBP 112.9K

$2.36 ₱149

-46.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 LBP 143.7K

$1.90 ₱119

-15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LBP 104.2K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LBP 63.8K

$0.63 ₱39.71

12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 LBP 262.0K

$3.00 ₱189

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

$6.03 ₱379

79.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 LBP 113.3K

$1.23 ₱77.7

3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 LBP 220.9K

$1.75 ₱110

41.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

$0.77 ₱48.62

531.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 LBP 200.1K

$0.23 ₱14.53

873.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 LBP 2.0M

$4.46 ₱281

399.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-20.61%

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

$54.2K LBP 4.8B

$21.2K ₱1.3M

155.07%

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

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

$19.1K ₱1.2M

68.73%

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

$233 LBP 20.9M

$120 ₱7,569

94.15%

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

$22.43 LBP 2.0M

$14.00 ₱882

60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.64 LBP 3.4M

$27.54 ₱1,734

36.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 LBP 878.1K

$5.65 ₱356

73.63%

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

$675 LBP 60.4M

$275 ₱17.3K

145.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K LBP 936.1M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

32.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 LBP 6.0M

$49.33 ₱3,106

35.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.56 LBP 4.3M

$25.24 ₱1,589

92.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$77.0 ₱4,846

79.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 LBP 10.6M

$57.2 ₱3,601

107.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

52.78%

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

Last update for Zahlah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zahlah

$294 29.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 44.9% $132

Groceries & Markets

Zahlah

$274 27.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 24.7% $68

Eating Out

Zahlah

$227 22.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 61.2% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Zahlah

$167 16.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 43.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Zahlah

$20 * 2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 122% $24

Getting Around

Zahlah

$16 * 1.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 2.9% $0.5

Accommodation & Living

Zahlah

- * 0%

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $70.0 in Zahlah vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Zahlah

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

02:47 2:47 AM

5 h ahead of Zahlah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,145

964,169

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zahlah Cebu 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Zahlah
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

Zahlah vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,496 in Zahlah and $1,377 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Zahlah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $997 per month in Zahlah versus $918 in Cebu – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

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

Safety-wise, Zahlah 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 9% less than in Zahlah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.