Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bambous

For one person, living is cheaper in Bambous: $537 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Bambous
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Bambous Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Bambous

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bambous

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $537 in Bambous.

Cebu $918
Bambous $537

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $901 in Bambous.

Cebu $1,409
Bambous $901

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,265 in Bambous.

Cebu $1,900
Bambous $1,265

Living in Cebu is roughly 71% more expensive than in Bambous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Bambous 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.16 MUR 196

-25.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$37.24 MUR 1,753

-34.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.26 MUR 201

-7.98%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.14 MUR 101

17.29%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.02 MUR 48.07

55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.40 MUR 19.06

32.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.65 MUR 125

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.56 MUR 73.6

39.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.15 MUR 54.1

66.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.72 MUR 33.68

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.07 MUR 50.4

-5.61%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.45 MUR 115

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.31 MUR 250

85.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.14 MUR 148

39.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$4.15 MUR 195

83.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.13 MUR 100

54.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.66 MUR 125

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.44 MUR 67.6

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.88 MUR 136

-47.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.99 MUR 46.53

138.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.99 MUR 46.58

91.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.69 MUR 32.59

72.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.83 MUR 39.14

-24.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.49 MUR 306

-53.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.35 MUR 393

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.69 MUR 79.5

-27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.36 MUR 111

-25.85%

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

$4.19 MUR 197

-81.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$3.23 MUR 152

-92.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$21.46 MUR 1,010

-79.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.39 MUR 65.4

-5.76%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

-42.39%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$30.9K MUR 1.5M

-37.96%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$44.49 MUR 2,095

170.24%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$10.50 MUR 494

33.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$28.85 MUR 1,358

-4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.18 MUR 291

-8.58%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$124 MUR 5,861

121.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,510 MUR 353.6K

5.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$77.0 MUR 3,624

-35.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$72.3 MUR 3,403

-65.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$120 MUR 5,646

-35.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$76.4 MUR 3,598

-25.16%

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

6.67

7.95%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bambous: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Bambous

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Bambous

$171 31.9% 16.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Bambous

$84 15.6% 48.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Bambous

$156 29% 65.6% $62

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bambous

$94 17.5% 6.2% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Bambous

$12 * 2.3% 71.7% $31

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Bambous

$20 * 3.8% 30.5% $4.8

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $37.00 in Bambous. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $171, with Bambous cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇺 Bambous

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

15,300

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Bambous 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bambous

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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu and Bambous differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $537 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $805 in Bambous 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.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $124 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bambous gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.