Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Grand Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,176 in Grand Bay, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Grand Bay
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Grand Bay Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Grand Bay

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$1,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Grand Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,176 in Grand Bay.

Cebu $918
Grand Bay $1,176

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,240 in Grand Bay.

Cebu $1,409
Grand Bay $2,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,304 in Grand Bay.

Cebu $1,900
Grand Bay $3,304

Living in Cebu costs roughly 22% less than in Grand Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Grand Bay 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$5.67 MUR 267

-45.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$62.7 MUR 2,951

-61.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.00 MUR 330

-44.00%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.60 MUR 122

-3.46%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.18 MUR 55.7

34.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.63 MUR 29.89

-15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.67 MUR 126

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.74 MUR 223

-54.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.40 MUR 65.7

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.71 MUR 33.65

91.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.10 MUR 51.6

-8.18%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.42 MUR 114

-16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$20.36 MUR 959

-51.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.27 MUR 295

-29.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$21.35 MUR 1,005

-64.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.88 MUR 88.3

75.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.03 MUR 95.7

-31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.44 MUR 67.7

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.92 MUR 137

-48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.95 MUR 44.73

148.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.99 MUR 46.62

91.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.70 MUR 32.89

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.56 MUR 26.59

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.58 MUR 310

-54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.28 MUR 390

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.69 MUR 79.4

-27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.04 MUR 95.8

-14.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.03 MUR 48.61

-75.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$4.31 MUR 203

-82.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.44 MUR 115

-90.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$20.86 MUR 982

-78.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.41 MUR 66.3

-7.09%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$34.4K MUR 1.6M

-38.21%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-47.21%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$45.51 MUR 2,143

164.18%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$15.73 MUR 741

-11.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$29.36 MUR 1,383

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$57.6 MUR 2,713

-43.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.47 MUR 305

-12.67%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$125 MUR 5,881

120.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,478 MUR 352.1K

5.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$60.7 MUR 2,857

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$62.8 MUR 2,954

-59.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$107 MUR 5,038

-28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$86.8 MUR 4,084

-34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$595 MUR 28.0K

-15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$447 MUR 21.0K

-30.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$2,067 MUR 97.3K

-47.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,476 MUR 69.5K

-58.31%

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

$1,289 MUR 60.7K

-73.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

20.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grand Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Grand Bay

$447 38% 44.7% $138

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Grand Bay

$277 23.6% 34.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Grand Bay

$91 7.7% 44% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Grand Bay

$143 12.1% 52% $49

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Grand Bay

$128 10.9% 44.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Grand Bay

$71 6% 61.8% $27

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Grand Bay

$21 * 1.8% 32.4% $5.1

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 $595 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 273% 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 $63.0 in Grand Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $277 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇺 Grand Bay

🕒 Local time

01:40 1:40 AM

21:40 9:40 PM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

11,900

💱 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 Grand Bay 8,000 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Grand Bay

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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 273% lower in Grand Bay. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $595 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Grand Bay. 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 $1,176 in Grand Bay – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,176 in Grand Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Grand Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Grand Bay, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Grand Bay 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Grand Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.