Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ambositra

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambositra: $476 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ambositra
Learn more

Ambositra Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Ambositra

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ambositra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Ambositra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $476 in Ambositra, rent included.

Cebu $918
Ambositra $476

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $727 in Ambositra, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Ambositra $727

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $979 in Ambositra, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Ambositra $979

Cebu costs about 93% more than Ambositra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cebu and Ambositra are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Ambositra 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.72 MGA 12.4K

13.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$19.95 MGA 91.0K

21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.41 MGA 24.7K

-27.54%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.64 MGA 7,496

53.05%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.81 MGA 3,701

96.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.44 MGA 2,017

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.02 MGA 4,654

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.28 MGA 10.4K

-4.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.99 MGA 4,517

93.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.98 MGA 4,477

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.77 MGA 3,494

31.17%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.96 MGA 8,938

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.50 MGA 38.8K

16.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.44 MGA 20.2K

-1.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$4.71 MGA 21.5K

61.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.08 MGA 4,943

205.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.57 MGA 2,581

143.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.04 MGA 4,733

124.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.87 MGA 3,990

72.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.58 MGA 2,646

306.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.98 MGA 4,468

93.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.35 MGA 1,576

240.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.68 MGA 3,101

-7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.54 MGA 7,013

94.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.92 MGA 22.5K

22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.03 MGA 4,702

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.85 MGA 8,455

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.26 MGA 14.9K

-76.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.05 MGA 9,333

-88.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$4.48 MGA 20.4K

-0.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.13 MGA 5,134

15.93%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$11.7K MGA 53.6M

80.80%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$25.5K MGA 116.2M

-24.85%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$73.8 MGA 336.6K

62.94%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.64 MGA 75.9K

-15.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$56.4 MGA 257.1K

-51.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.55 MGA 25.3K

1.80%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$24.84 MGA 113.3K

1008.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$14.9K MGA 67.8M

-46.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$28.27 MGA 128.9K

74.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$27.51 MGA 125.5K

-8.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$75.3 MGA 343.5K

2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$69.3 MGA 315.9K

-17.41%

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

15.75

-54.29%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ambositra: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Ambositra

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Ambositra

$142 29.8% 31.2% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Ambositra

$147 30.9% 9.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Ambositra

$90 19% 4% $3.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Ambositra

$72 15.2% 18% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Ambositra

$11 * 2.3% 74.5% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Ambositra

$13 * 2.8% 13.4% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $20.00 in Ambositra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $142 – making Ambositra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇬 Ambositra

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

10:39 10:39 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

41,078

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Ambositra 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ambositra

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

Cebu vs Ambositra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $713 in Ambositra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $476 in Ambositra. That's a gap of about 93%.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $24.84 in Ambositra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $918 in Cebu and $476 in Ambositra, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ambositra – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambositra. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.