Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and M'Sila

For one person, living is cheaper in M'Sila: $459 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in M'Sila
Learn more

M'Sila Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

M'Sila

🇩🇿 Algeria

$459

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in M'Sila

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $459 in M'Sila.

Cebu $915
M'Sila $459

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $753 in M'Sila.

Cebu $1,418
M'Sila $753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,046 in M'Sila.

Cebu $1,921
M'Sila $1,046

Living in Cebu is roughly 99% more expensive than in M'Sila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, M'Sila 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$1.88 DZD 252

62.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$18.82 DZD 2,520

27.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$3.70 DZD 496

7.84%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$0.35 DZD 47.31

614.29%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.51 DZD 67.8

201.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.20 DZD 26.58

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.17 DZD 290

-17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.17 DZD 291

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$0.78 DZD 104

156.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.13 DZD 16.96

953.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.15 DZD 155

-10.43%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.19 DZD 160

70.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$2.92 DZD 391

249.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$3.94 DZD 528

12.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$9.30 DZD 1,245

-17.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.09 DZD 280

58.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.68 DZD 359

-45.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.07 DZD 143

116.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$0.55 DZD 74.0

170.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.50 DZD 67.0

368.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.27 DZD 35.63

618.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.12 DZD 16.21

866.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.25 DZD 33.34

172.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$2.71 DZD 363

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$6.75 DZD 904

-7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.27 DZD 171

-3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.86 DZD 249

-6.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.24 DZD 32.27

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$6.53 DZD 874

88.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.55 DZD 73.4

43.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.43 DZD 57.5

-48.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$5.69 DZD 762

-20.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.33 DZD 44.76

300.00%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$34.9K DZD 4.7M

-39.84%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.6K DZD 4.6M

-43.85%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$23.25 DZD 3,112

409.89%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$7.50 DZD 1,004

89.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$12.44 DZD 1,665

120.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$22.17 DZD 2,968

45.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$4.36 DZD 584

23.85%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$115 DZD 15.4K

140.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$6,439 DZD 862.1K

22.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$32.63 DZD 4,368

51.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$33.92 DZD 4,541

-27.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$67.7 DZD 9,064

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$79.9 DZD 10.7K

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$144 DZD 19.2K

250.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$92.2 DZD 12.3K

230.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$270 DZD 36.1K

298.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$192 DZD 25.7K

228.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$961 DZD 128.7K

198.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$623 DZD 83.4K

201.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$243 DZD 32.5K

38.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.3

35.85%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

M'Sila

$92 20.1% 69.7% $212

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

M'Sila

$138 30% 34.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

M'Sila

$43 9.4% 73.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

M'Sila

$96 21% 2.2% $2.1

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

M'Sila

$48 10.6% 44.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

M'Sila

$31 6.7% 28.3% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

M'Sila

$10 2.2% 32.7% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $144 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 39% 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 M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $138 per month, with M'Sila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇩🇿 M'Sila

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

18:41 6:41 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

156,647

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu M'Sila 11,870 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
M'Sila

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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

M'Sila is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $503 in Cebu versus $144 in M'Sila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $459 in M'Sila – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in M'Sila runs roughly 89% 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 M'Sila gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, M'Sila 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 M'Sila 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 M'Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.