Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zenica and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Zenica: $850 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Zenica
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Zenica Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Zenica

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$850

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $850 in Zenica versus $918 in Cebu.

Zenica $850
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Zenica versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Zenica $1,245
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,639 in Zenica versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Zenica $1,639
Cebu $1,900

Living in Zenica costs roughly 7% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zenica 37% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 BAM 12.19

$3.09 ₱194

125.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.26 BAM 31.89

$24.22 ₱1,521

-24.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 BAM 7.14

$3.92 ₱246

4.34%

Cappuccino

$1.59 BAM 2.78

$2.51 ₱157

-36.65%

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

$1.69 BAM 2.96

$1.59 ₱100

6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BAM 2.16

$0.53 ₱33.36

132.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 BAM 3.47

$1.78 ₱112

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BAM 3.52

$2.17 ₱136

-7.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 BAM 2.23

$1.92 ₱121

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 BAM 1.65

$1.36 ₱85.2

-30.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 BAM 3.01

$1.01 ₱63.4

71.29%

Eggs

$2.70 BAM 4.72

$2.03 ₱127

33.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 BAM 13.24

$9.86 ₱620

-23.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 BAM 12.35

$4.39 ₱276

61.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 BAM 21.91

$7.60 ₱478

65.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 BAM 2.36

$3.30 ₱207

-59.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 BAM 2.78

$1.39 ₱87.6

14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.72

$2.33 ₱147

-33.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 3.07

$1.50 ₱94.1

17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BAM 1.77

$2.36 ₱148

-57.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 BAM 2.14

$1.90 ₱119

-35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 BAM 1.01

$1.19 ₱74.7

-51.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 BAM 1.23

$0.63 ₱39.62

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 BAM 5.86

$3.00 ₱189

11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 BAM 9.75

$6.03 ₱379

-7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 BAM 1.48

$1.23 ₱77.5

-30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 BAM 1.74

$1.75 ₱110

-43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BAM 1.57

$0.25 ₱15.82

260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.58 BAM 55.2

$12.64 ₱794

149.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 BAM 2.69

$0.77 ₱48.51

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BAM 1.52

$0.23 ₱14.50

278.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 BAM 15.25

$4.46 ₱280

95.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BAM 2.61

$1.31 ₱82.6

14.50%

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

$30.7K BAM 53.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

44.31%

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

$21.7K BAM 37.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

13.29%

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

$161 BAM 281

$120 ₱7,553

33.89%

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

$18.28 BAM 31.92

$14.00 ₱880

30.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.97 BAM 41.85

$27.54 ₱1,730

-12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.06 BAM 42.01

$32.33 ₱2,031

-25.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.24 BAM 24.87

$6.65 ₱418

114.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 BAM 7.86

$5.65 ₱355

-20.35%

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

$134 BAM 235

$275 ₱17.3K

-51.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,848 BAM 6,719

$7,918 ₱497.4K

-51.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 BAM 88.0

$49.33 ₱3,099

2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 BAM 52.9

$25.24 ₱1,586

20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 BAM 162

$77.0 ₱4,835

20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 BAM 152

$57.2 ₱3,593

51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 BAM 334

$500 ₱31.4K

-61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 BAM 248

$309 ₱19.4K

-53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 BAM 467

$1,078 ₱67.7K

-75.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 BAM 349

$615 ₱38.7K

-67.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 BAM 2,766

$2,886 ₱181.3K

-45.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,280 BAM 2,236

$1,917 ₱120.4K

-33.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 BAM 1,141

$346 ₱21.7K

88.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-58.33%

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

Last update for Zenica: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zenica

$203 23.9%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 20.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Zenica

$201 23.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 2.6% $5.3

Accommodation & Living

Zenica

$142 16.7%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 117% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Zenica

$117 13.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 19.8% $23

Eating Out

Zenica

$113 13.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 21.8% $25

Getting Around

Zenica

$41 4.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 62.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Zenica

$33 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 31.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $191 in Zenica and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zenica pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Zenica vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $206 per month, with Zenica cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Zenica

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

6 h ahead of Zenica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,533

964,169

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 62.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.39 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zenica Cebu 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Zenica
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

Zenica vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zenica is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Zenica, 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: $191 in Zenica versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $850 per month in Zenica versus $918 in Cebu – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zenica runs roughly 150% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Zenica gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Zenica 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, Zenica 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 Zenica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.