Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cebu vs Semarang

Cebu vs Semarang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Semarang 40% cheaper Cebu +62 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Cebu

Toa Heftiba/Unsplash

Semarang

Supri Yanto/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,368

Cebu

$825

Semarang

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cebu

Moderate

Semarang

Air Quality

5/5

Cebu

5/5

Semarang

Healthcare

High

Cebu

Moderate

Semarang

Population

922.6k

Cebu

1.6m

Semarang

Cebu (Philippines) and Semarang (Indonesia) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

The monthly savings are substantial — Semarang at $825/mo costs 40% less than Cebu at $1368/mo, adding up to $6516 over a year.

For families, Cebu costs $1899.198205293466/mo compared to Semarang's $1605.588646314858/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Cebu has a clear edge at 94 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Semarang's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Cebu and Semarang share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Cebu offers better healthcare infrastructure than Semarang — an important consideration for longer stays.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cebu is March (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 433), while Semarang peaks in July (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 397). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CebuSemarang

Nomad$1,368/mo$825/mo

Expat$836/mo$603/mo

Local$543/mo$459/mo

Family$1,899/mo$1,606/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CebuSemarang

City Speed

94 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed94 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

CebuSemarang

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighModerate

ClimateModerateModerate

Humidity7588

Quality of Life

CebuSemarang

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareHighModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cebu

Semarang

Jan

35°

1mm396

34°

8mm237

Feb

34°

1mm385

35°

5mm222

Mar

35°

0mm433

36°

6mm253

Apr

38°

0mm413

37°

5mm319

May

39°

1mm356

37°

1mm373

Jun

38°

9mm278

36°

1mm368

Jul

36°

12mm247

35°

0mm397

Aug

38°

6mm354

36°

0mm397

Sep

37°

5mm365

36°

0mm397

Oct

38°

6mm278

37°

0mm382

Nov

37°

2mm375

36°

7mm319

Dec

35°

5mm247

34°

15mm207

Who Should Choose Cebu?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1368
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1899.198205293466/mo for families
Peak season in March — 35 degrees, score 433

Who Should Choose Semarang?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $825
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1605.588646314858/mo for families
Peak season in July — 35 degrees, score 397

Overall Verdict

The data favors Cebu as the more well-rounded choice. At $1368/mo versus Semarang's $825/mo, that is a 40% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Cebu Semarang

ItemCebuSemarangDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant—$1.3

—

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)—$9.72

—

McMeal or equivalent combo—$3.24

—

Cappuccino (regular)—$1.34

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)—$2.48

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$2.59

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)—$0.42

—

Water (0.33L)—$0.2

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)—$1.13

—

White bread (500g)—$0.97

—

White rice (1kg)—$0.81

—

Eggs (12)—$1.29

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)—$2.96

—

Beef round (1kg)—$7.24

—

Local cheese (1kg)—$6.15

—

Apples (1kg)—$2.3

—

Bananas (1kg)—$1.3

—

Oranges (1kg)—$1.15

—

Tomatoes (1kg)—$0.86

—

Potatoes (1kg)—$1.15

—

Onions (1kg)—$1.38

—

Lettuce (1 head)—$0.55

—

Water (1.5L bottle)—$0.36

—

Wine, mid-range bottle—$12.15

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)—$2.03

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$2.98

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)—$1.94

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.23

—

Monthly transport pass—$18.18

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)—$0.58

—

Taxi per 1km—$0.32

—

Taxi 1hr waiting—$2.11

—

Gasoline (1L)—$0.79

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$23,334.86

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$27,914.38

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$40.19

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo—$28.38

—

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.1

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$29.17

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$12.15

—

Cinema, 1 ticket—$3.24

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$75.62

—

International primary school/yr—$6,009.65

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)—$32.39

—

Summer dress (chain store)—$22.69

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)—$64.82

—

Men's leather business shoes—$37.81

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$259.28

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$194.46

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$680.6

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$550.96

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,215.36

—

Price per m², outside centre—$378.11

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$269

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$8.69

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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