Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,597 in Madeira, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Madeira
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Madeira Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Madeira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,597 in Madeira.

Cebu $934
Madeira $1,597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,383 in Madeira.

Cebu $1,415
Madeira $2,383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $3,169 in Madeira.

Cebu $1,896
Madeira $3,169

Living in Cebu costs roughly 42% less than in Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Madeira is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$11.62 €10.37

-73.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$46.16 €41.19

-49.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$9.12 €8.14

-55.15%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.10 €1.88

20.00%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.85 €1.65

-16.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.43 €1.27

-65.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.27 €2.03

-21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.54 €3.16

-36.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.09 €0.98

78.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.53 €1.37

-6.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.60 €1.43

-36.25%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.99 €2.67

-31.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$11.53 €10.29

-14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$7.69 €6.86

-40.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$14.00 €12.49

-45.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.35 €2.10

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.41 €1.26

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.80 €1.61

31.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.50 €2.23

-38.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.51 €1.34

56.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.92 €1.72

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.55 €1.38

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.84 €0.75

-20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$6.04 €5.39

-50.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$5.22 €4.66

21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.30 €1.16

0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.32 €2.07

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$2.36 €2.11

-89.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$42.32 €37.77

-70.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$4.28 €3.82

-82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.79 €0.71

-73.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$17.53 €15.65

-75.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.90 €1.69

-30.00%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$35.4K €31.6K

-38.46%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$39.1K €34.9K

-50.36%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$134 €120

-10.01%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$20.90 €18.65

-30.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$41.95 €37.44

-32.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$43.41 €38.74

-24.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$17.37 €15.50

-63.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$8.35 €7.45

-34.61%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$473 €422

-42.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$8,183 €7,303

-0.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$74.7 €66.7

-33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$38.11 €34.01

-34.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$91.9 €82.0

-16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$92.8 €82.8

-36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$914 €816

-44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$717 €640

-56.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,446 €1,291

-27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,145 €1,021

-45.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$3,012 €2,688

-3.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$2,356 €2,103

-20.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.01

43.71%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Madeira: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Madeira

$717 45.1% 132% $408

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Madeira

$246 15.5% 16.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Madeira

$197 12.4% 20.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Madeira

$134 8.4% 41.5% $39

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Madeira

$177 11.1% 100% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Madeira

$60 3.8% 37.8% $17

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Madeira

$60 3.8% 289% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $914 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $246 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇹 Madeira

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

09:23 9:23 AM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

154

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Madeira 13,680 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Madeira

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $2,395 in Madeira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $914 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,597 in Madeira – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 235% less than in Madeira. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,597 in Madeira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Madeira. 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 Madeira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Madeira 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 71% less than in Madeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.