Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Essaouira

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $782 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Essaouira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $782 in Essaouira.

Cebu $918
Essaouira $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,172 in Essaouira.

Cebu $1,409
Essaouira $1,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,562 in Essaouira.

Cebu $1,900
Essaouira $1,562

Living in Cebu is roughly 17% more expensive than in Essaouira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Essaouira 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$4.62 MAD 45.00

-33.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$18.81 MAD 183

28.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.12 MAD 69.4

-44.94%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.35 MAD 13.14

85.93%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.47 MAD 4.58

238.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$0.38 MAD 3.68

39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.31 MAD 51.8

-66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.61 MAD 44.93

-52.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.90 MAD 8.79

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.54 MAD 5.25

151.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.67 MAD 16.28

-39.52%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.68 MAD 16.37

20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.27 MAD 80.6

19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.81 MAD 56.6

-24.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.62 MAD 104

-28.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.30 MAD 12.63

153.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.14 MAD 11.12

21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.72 MAD 7.02

223.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.77 MAD 7.52

94.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.58 MAD 5.67

306.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.68 MAD 6.66

179.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.38 MAD 3.67

213.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.58 MAD 5.68

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.84 MAD 37.44

-21.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$6.32 MAD 61.6

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.82 MAD 17.76

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.13 MAD 20.77

-17.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.82 MAD 7.99

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$0.64 MAD 6.22

20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$0.63 MAD 6.19

-63.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.45 MAD 14.16

-9.66%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$34.6K MAD 337.3K

-38.59%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$29.5K MAD 287.8K

-35.13%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$23.89 MAD 233

403.26%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.25 MAD 168

-18.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$30.01 MAD 293

-8.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.30 MAD 51.7

6.60%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$69.0 MAD 672

299.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$1,875 MAD 18.3K

322.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$29.38 MAD 286

67.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$44.72 MAD 436

-43.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$59.0 MAD 576

30.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$41.76 MAD 407

36.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$393 MAD 3,835

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$330 MAD 3,217

-6.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$930 MAD 9,071

15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$557 MAD 5,433

10.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$256 MAD 2,498

35.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.5

10.77%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Essaouira

$330 42.2% 6.8% $21

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Essaouira

$171 21.9% 16.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Essaouira

$71 9.1% 56% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Essaouira

$79 10.1% 16.2% $15

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Essaouira

$114 14.5% 28.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Essaouira

$11 * 1.4% 75.7% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Essaouira

$7.1 * 0.9% 54.5% $8.5

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 $500 in Cebu and $393 in Essaouira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 35% 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $19.00 in Essaouira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $171 per month, with Essaouira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

20:05 8:05 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

77,966

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Essaouira 13,240 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Essaouira

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 Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Essaouira is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $500 in Cebu versus $393 in Essaouira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $782 in Essaouira – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Essaouira 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 Essaouira 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 Essaouira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.