For one person, living is cheaper in Madiun: $557 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Madiun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $557 in Madiun.
Cebu $915
Madiun $557
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $903 in Madiun.
Cebu $1,418
Madiun $903
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,250 in Madiun.
Cebu $1,921
Madiun $1,250
🌍
Living in Cebu is roughly 64% more expensive than in Madiun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu33% lower, Madiun59% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05₱192
$1.10Rp 19.8K
177.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00₱1,511
$11.30Rp 203.3K
112.39%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.99₱251
$2.71Rp 48.8K
47.23%
Cappuccino
$2.50₱157
$1.27Rp 22.8K
96.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54₱97.1
$0.29Rp 5,223
431.03%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50₱31.37
$0.17Rp 2,989
194.12%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$2.21Rp 39.8K
-19.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱136
$1.92Rp 34.6K
13.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.00₱126
$1.15Rp 20.7K
73.91%
White Bread(500g)
$1.37₱86.2
$0.82Rp 14.7K
67.07%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.03₱64.9
$0.71Rp 12.9K
45.07%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$1.31Rp 23.5K
54.96%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.20₱642
$5.57Rp 100.3K
83.12%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.45₱280
$3.02Rp 54.4K
47.35%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.67₱483
$3.10Rp 55.9K
147.42%
Apples(1kg)
$3.31₱208
$2.67Rp 48.0K
23.97%
Banana(1kg)
$1.46₱91.8
$1.11Rp 19.9K
31.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.32₱146
$1.14Rp 20.6K
103.51%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.49₱94.0
$0.58Rp 10.4K
156.90%
Potato(1kg)
$2.34₱147
$0.82Rp 14.8K
185.37%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94₱122
$1.92Rp 34.5K
1.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.16₱73.0
$0.41Rp 7,366
182.93%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68₱42.89
$0.40Rp 7,233
70.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99₱188
$2.86Rp 51.5K
4.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.24₱393
$20.62Rp 371.2K
-69.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.3
$2.22Rp 39.9K
-44.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73₱109
$3.69Rp 66.3K
-53.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.23₱14.36
$0.27Rp 4,859
-14.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.34₱777
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.79₱49.96
$0.20Rp 3,567
295.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.22₱13.86
$0.41Rp 7,332
-46.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.54₱286
$4.34Rp 78.1K
4.61%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.32₱82.9
$0.50Rp 8,955
164.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K₱1.3M
$15.4KRp 277.6M
36.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K₱1.2M
$27.5KRp 494.5M
-29.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119₱7,464
$22.62Rp 407.2K
424.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22₱896
$4.23Rp 76.2K
236.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47₱1,730
$20.87Rp 375.6K
31.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.31₱2,034
$19.91Rp 358.5K
62.28%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50₱409
$8.24Rp 148.4K
-21.12%
Cinema Ticket
$5.40₱340
$2.11Rp 38.0K
155.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$276₱17.4K
$83.4Rp 1.5M
230.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,866₱495.3K
$4,046Rp 72.8M
94.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37₱3,108
$53.1Rp 955.0K
-6.94%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58₱1,548
$32.08Rp 577.5K
-23.38%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,825
$84.9Rp 1.5M
-9.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9₱3,706
$90.4Rp 1.6M
-34.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$503₱31.7K
$226Rp 4.1M
122.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$305₱19.2K
$146Rp 2.6M
107.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,075₱67.7K
$538Rp 9.7M
99.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$632₱39.8K
$367Rp 6.6M
72.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,870₱180.7K
$1,149Rp 20.7M
149.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,877₱118.2K
$784Rp 14.1M
139.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Madiun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$336₱21.1K
$133Rp 2.4M
151.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
4.5
60.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026
Last update for Madiun: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$305 33.3%
Madiun
$146 26.3% ↓ 51.9%$158
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210 22.9%
Madiun
$169 30.3% ↓ 19.5%$41
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160 17.5%
Madiun
$48 8.6% ↓ 70.2%$113
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.3%
Madiun
$117 21.1% ↑ 24.3%$23
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Madiun
$49 8.8% ↓ 44.3%$39
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43 4.7%
Madiun
$24 4.3% ↓ 44%$19
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$15 1.7%
Madiun
$3.3 * 0.6% ↓ 78.2%$12
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$632 32.9%
Madiun
$367 29.4% ↓ 42%$265
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$491 25.6%
Madiun
$359 28.7% ↓ 26.9%$132
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$174 9.1%
Madiun
$52 4.2% ↓ 70.2%$123
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 10.9%
Madiun
$260 20.8% ↑ 24.3%$51
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$290 15.1%
Madiun
$148 11.9% ↓ 48.8%$142
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$93 4.8%
Madiun
$57 4.5% ↓ 39%$36
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$31 1.6%
Madiun
$7.2 * 0.6% ↓ 76.7%$24
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 $503 in Cebu and $226 in Madiun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 152% 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 $11.00 in Madiun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $169 per month, with Madiun cheaper across the board.
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 Madiun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Madiun cheaper than Cebu?
Madiun is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Madiun?
Average pay runs 152% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Madiun?
Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $226 in Madiun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Madiun?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Madiun?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $557 in Madiun – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Madiun?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Madiun gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Madiun more family-friendly?
For families, Madiun 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Madiun?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Madiun are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Madiun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.