Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bamako

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Bamako: $934 and $907 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Bamako
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Bamako Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Bamako

🇲🇱 Mali

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bamako

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 Bamako actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $907 in Bamako.

Cebu $934
Bamako $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,475 in Bamako.

Cebu $1,415
Bamako $1,475

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,042 in Bamako.

Cebu $1,896
Bamako $2,042

Living in Cebu is roughly 3% more expensive than in Bamako, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Bamako 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$8.70 F CFA 5,086

-65.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$36.22 F CFA 21.2K

-35.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$8.09 F CFA 4,731

-49.44%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.63 F CFA 955

54.60%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$0.95 F CFA 557

62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$0.66 F CFA 383

-25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.41 F CFA 1,410

-25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$21.09 F CFA 12.3K

-89.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.93 F CFA 1,127

1.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$3.90 F CFA 2,281

-63.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$5.84 F CFA 3,416

-64.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

$17.84 F CFA 10.4K

-45.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

$15.45 F CFA 9,034

-70.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

$12.49 F CFA 7,298

-38.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.95 F CFA 2,307

-16.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

$1.03 F CFA 601

40.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.86 F CFA 1,669

-17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

$2.15 F CFA 1,256

-28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.21 F CFA 706

95.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.14 F CFA 665

74.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

$0.10 F CFA 59.0

1050.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

$2.69 F CFA 1,569

-75.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

$1.56 F CFA 913

-16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.66 F CFA 973

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

$1.20 F CFA 703

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

$1.10 F CFA 643

20.91%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,583

$149 F CFA 86.9K

-18.86%

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

$14.45 ₱909

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

$65.8 F CFA 38.5K

-57.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$70.0 F CFA 40.9K

-53.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

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

$273 ₱17.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$174 F CFA 101.8K

190.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$80.7 F CFA 47.2K

283.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

$509 F CFA 297.6K

106.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$297 F CFA 173.6K

108.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

$1,227 F CFA 717.0K

52.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$266 F CFA 155.7K

28.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bamako: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Bamako

$81 9% 73.9% $229

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Bamako

$348 * 38.9% 65.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Bamako

$214 * 24% 31.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Bamako

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bamako

$174 19.5% 97.1% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Bamako

$70 * 7.8% 60.6% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Bamako

$6 * 0.7% 61% $9.4

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 $506 in Cebu and $174 in Bamako. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Bamako for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $348 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇱 Bamako

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

05:03 5:03 AM

8 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,809,106 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Bamako 14,120 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bamako

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 Bamako: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bamako wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Cebu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bamako the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Cebu, 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: $506 in Cebu versus $174 in Bamako. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $907 in Bamako – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 65% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Bamako delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $907 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bamako hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Bamako 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 Bamako gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.