Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $772 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
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La Marsa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in La Marsa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $772 in La Marsa.

Cebu $918
La Marsa $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,291 in La Marsa.

Cebu $1,409
La Marsa $1,291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,809 in La Marsa.

Cebu $1,900
La Marsa $1,809

Living in Cebu is roughly 19% more expensive than in La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, La Marsa 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.41 TND 10.21

-9.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$20.34 TND 60.9

19.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.24 TND 15.69

-25.19%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.30 TND 3.88

93.08%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.60 TND 1.79

165.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.26 TND 0.77

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.48 TND 4.44

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.98 TND 5.92

9.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.53 TND 1.60

262.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.31 TND 0.94

338.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.32 TND 6.96

-56.47%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.85 TND 5.53

9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$9.51 TND 28.49

3.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.65 TND 19.93

-33.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$13.01 TND 38.98

-41.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.03 TND 6.08

62.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$3.58 TND 10.71

-61.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.47 TND 4.42

58.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.67 TND 2.00

123.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.60 TND 1.79

293.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.65 TND 1.96

192.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.40 TND 1.21

197.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.30 TND 0.91

110.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.64 TND 10.91

-17.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$6.50 TND 19.47

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.27 TND 3.79

-3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.61 TND 4.84

8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.34 TND 1.03

-26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$6.99 TND 20.93

80.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.29 TND 0.86

165.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.42 TND 1.27

-45.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$4.10 TND 12.28

8.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.87 TND 2.60

50.57%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.9K TND 110.5K

-42.40%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$31.1K TND 93.1K

-38.40%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$33.98 TND 102

253.83%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$12.23 TND 36.62

14.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$18.32 TND 54.9

50.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$41.68 TND 125

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$7.45 TND 22.30

-10.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.27 TND 15.80

7.21%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$59.5 TND 178

362.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$2,560 TND 7,666

209.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$63.5 TND 190

-22.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$69.4 TND 208

-63.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$90.9 TND 272

-15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$89.9 TND 269

-36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$288 TND 863

73.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$233 TND 697

32.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$707 TND 2,116

52.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$572 TND 1,712

7.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,831 TND 5,485

57.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,018 TND 3,049

88.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$334 TND 1,000

3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-48.57%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

La Marsa

$233 30.1% 24.7% $76

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

La Marsa

$198 25.6% 3.9% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

La Marsa

$65 8.4% 60.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

La Marsa

$141 18.3% 50.3% $47

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

La Marsa

$73 9.5% 16.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

La Marsa

$52 6.8% 19.7% $8.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

La Marsa

$11 1.4% 30.8% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $288 in La Marsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 4% 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 $20.00 in La Marsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $198 per month, with La Marsa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

03:54 3:54 AM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

92,987

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, 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).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu La Marsa 11,340 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
La Marsa

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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Marsa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $288 in La Marsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $772 in La Marsa – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in La Marsa runs roughly 81% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, La Marsa 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 La Marsa 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 La Marsa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.