Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Magallanes, Cavite

For one person, living is cheaper in Magallanes, Cavite: $713 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Magallanes, Cavite
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Magallanes, Cavite Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Magallanes, Cavite

🇵🇭 Philippines

$713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Magallanes, Cavite

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $713 in Magallanes, Cavite.

Cebu $934
Magallanes, Cavite $713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,080 in Magallanes, Cavite.

Cebu $1,423
Magallanes, Cavite $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,447 in Magallanes, Cavite.

Cebu $1,913
Magallanes, Cavite $1,447

Living in Cebu is roughly 31% more expensive than in Magallanes, Cavite, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Magallanes, Cavite 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱243

$3.64 ₱233

4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,493

$14.70 ₱941

58.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.80 ₱179

40.71%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$1.96 ₱126

29.59%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.57 ₱36.58

175.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.87

$0.29 ₱18.70

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.22 ₱78.0

45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.23 ₱143

-0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.59 ₱102

19.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.3

$1.11 ₱70.8

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.9

$0.83 ₱53.4

13.25%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.07 ₱132

-3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱621

$4.95 ₱316

95.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱277

$4.16 ₱266

3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱481

$7.04 ₱451

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱212

$2.60 ₱166

27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.6

$1.53 ₱98.0

-10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱150

$2.39 ₱153

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.5

$0.99 ₱63.1

50.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$2.12 ₱136

8.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$2.53 ₱162

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.5

$1.02 ₱65.4

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.42

$0.49 ₱31.47

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$3.06 ₱196

-6.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$8.29 ₱531

-26.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.6

$0.86 ₱55.1

47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.05 ₱131

-16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$0.22 ₱14.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱790

$12.61 ₱807

-2.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.61

$0.86 ₱55.0

-13.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.11

$0.25 ₱16.15

-12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱274

$1.89 ₱121

126.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.8

$1.14 ₱73.3

14.91%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$23.2K ₱1.5M

-10.59%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.2K ₱1.2M

4.71%

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

$118 ₱7,577

$107 ₱6,868

10.33%

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

$15.76 ₱1,009

$15.05 ₱963

4.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,813

$20.86 ₱1,335

35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,108

$34.97 ₱2,238

-5.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$5.18 ₱331

25.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱349

$5.23 ₱335

4.21%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$116 ₱7,401

138.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱498.5K

$8,141 ₱521.0K

-4.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,083

$34.42 ₱2,203

39.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,566

$21.19 ₱1,356

15.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,818

$61.0 ₱3,905

23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,713

$46.67 ₱2,987

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$269 ₱17.2K

77.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$182 ₱11.6K

76.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.6K

$535 ₱34.2K

80.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$355 ₱22.7K

76.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱291.3K

$2,864 ₱183.3K

58.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.8K

$1,152 ₱73.7K

162.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.92

4.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Magallanes, Cavite: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Magallanes, Cavite

$182 25.5% 43.5% $140

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Magallanes, Cavite

$178 25% 12.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Magallanes, Cavite

$143 20.1% 11.9% $19

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Magallanes, Cavite

$75 10.5% 20.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Magallanes, Cavite

$73 10.3% 20.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Magallanes, Cavite

$45 6.4% 3.6% $1.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Magallanes, Cavite

$16 2.2% 3.8% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $269 in Magallanes, Cavite. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $15 in Magallanes, Cavite for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $178 per month, with Magallanes, Cavite cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Magallanes, Cavite

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

23,851

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Magallanes, Cavite 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Magallanes, Cavite

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 Magallanes, Cavite: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magallanes, Cavite is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $1,070 in Magallanes, Cavite 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: $477 in Cebu versus $269 in Magallanes, Cavite. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $713 in Magallanes, Cavite – Magallanes, Cavite is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $713 in Magallanes, Cavite versus $934 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Magallanes, Cavite but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Magallanes, Cavite the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.