Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Ebene

For one person, living is cheaper in Ebene: $690 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Ebene
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Ebene Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Ebene

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Ebene

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $690 in Ebene.

Cebu $915
Ebene $690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,190 in Ebene.

Cebu $1,418
Ebene $1,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,690 in Ebene.

Cebu $1,921
Ebene $1,690

Living in Cebu is roughly 33% more expensive than in Ebene, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Ebene 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$5.62 MUR 265

-45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$32.16 MUR 1,514

-25.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$6.34 MUR 298

-37.07%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.62 MUR 123

-4.58%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.88 MUR 41.45

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.50 MUR 23.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.78 MUR 83.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.49 MUR 117

-12.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.49 MUR 70.2

34.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.72 MUR 33.68

90.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.10 MUR 51.9

-6.36%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.21 MUR 104

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$8.37 MUR 394

21.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$6.35 MUR 299

-29.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$10.50 MUR 494

-26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$1.76 MUR 83.0

88.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.23 MUR 57.7

18.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.39 MUR 65.5

66.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$2.53 MUR 119

-41.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.92 MUR 43.21

154.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.98 MUR 46.29

97.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.74 MUR 34.91

56.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.55 MUR 26.08

23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$5.56 MUR 262

-46.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$8.21 MUR 387

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.63 MUR 76.8

-24.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.59 MUR 122

-33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.86 MUR 40.63

-73.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$4.23 MUR 199

-81.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$3.10 MUR 146

-92.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$21.46 MUR 1,010

-78.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.39 MUR 65.7

-5.04%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

-43.05%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$30.9K MUR 1.5M

-37.16%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$44.08 MUR 2,075

168.94%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$10.45 MUR 492

36.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$29.22 MUR 1,376

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$28.87 MUR 1,359

11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$6.50 MUR 306

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$5.94 MUR 280

-9.09%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$129 MUR 6,053

114.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$7,679 MUR 361.5K

2.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$43.42 MUR 2,044

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$41.49 MUR 1,953

-40.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$48.24 MUR 2,271

58.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$46.55 MUR 2,191

26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$256 MUR 12.0K

96.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$144 MUR 6,803

110.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$575 MUR 27.1K

86.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$423 MUR 19.9K

49.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$1,174 MUR 55.3K

-71.39%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Ebene: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Ebene

$144 20.9% 52.6% $160

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Ebene

$202 29.3% 3.5% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Ebene

$84 12.1% 47.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Ebene

$81 11.7% 14.2% $13

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Ebene

$115 16.6% 30.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Ebene

$41 5.9% 5.5% $2.4

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Ebene

$23 * 3.4% 53.1% $8

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 $503 in Cebu and $256 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 250% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $32.00 in Ebene. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $202, with Ebene cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇺 Ebene

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,001

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Ebene 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Ebene

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 Ebene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ebene is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 250% lower in Ebene. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $256 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $690 in Ebene – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ebene gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Ebene 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, Cebu and Ebene 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 Ebene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.