Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $557 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mahajanga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $557 in Mahajanga.

Cebu $934
Mahajanga $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $813 in Mahajanga.

Cebu $1,415
Mahajanga $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,069 in Mahajanga.

Cebu $1,896
Mahajanga $1,069

Living in Cebu is roughly 68% more expensive than in Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Mahajanga 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$2.02 MGA 9,027

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$18.34 MGA 82.0K

28.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$0.69 MGA 3,104

265.22%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.93 MGA 4,169

65.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.90 MGA 4,013

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$1.05 MGA 4,710

70.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$1.61 MGA 7,211

40.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.35 MGA 6,053

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.87 MGA 3,900

64.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$0.64 MGA 2,880

59.38%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.23 MGA 9,963

-7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$6.91 MGA 30.9K

41.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.85 MGA 30.6K

-32.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$3.75 MGA 16.8K

105.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.12 MGA 4,990

195.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.62 MGA 2,765

133.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.70 MGA 3,109

237.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.70 MGA 3,146

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.53 MGA 2,382

345.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.52 MGA 2,333

282.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.35 MGA 1,574

228.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.59 MGA 2,657

13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$9.30 MGA 41.6K

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$0.79 MGA 3,518

65.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$0.95 MGA 4,245

82.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.23 MGA 1,020

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.34 MGA 5,996

-0.75%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,563

$44.71 MGA 199.8K

169.69%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$6.69 MGA 29.9K

115.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$22.67 MGA 101.3K

24.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$18.07 MGA 80.8K

80.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

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

$273 ₱17.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$337 MGA 1.5M

50.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$275 MGA 1.2M

12.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$693 MGA 3.1M

51.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$448 MGA 2.0M

38.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $337 in Mahajanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $18.00 in Mahajanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $151 per month, with Mahajanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

14:24 2:24 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

246,022

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD

10,000 MGA = 2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR 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 = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,470 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.24 USD). 1 EUR = 5,009 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mahajanga 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahajanga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $835 in Mahajanga 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 $337 in Mahajanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mahajanga – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mahajanga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mahajanga 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 Mahajanga 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 Mahajanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.