Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mahé

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,799 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mahé

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,799 in Mahé.

Cebu $934
Mahé $1,799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,618 in Mahé.

Cebu $1,415
Mahé $2,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $3,438 in Mahé.

Cebu $1,896
Mahé $3,438

Living in Cebu costs roughly 48% less than in Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Mahé is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$17.55 SCR 254

-82.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$108 SCR 1,564

-78.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$5.66 SCR 82.0

-27.74%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-61.76%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.62 SCR 23.47

-4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$12.68 SCR 184

-85.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$9.10 SCR 132

-75.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.58 SCR 22.84

23.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.09 SCR 15.83

31.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.84 SCR 26.66

-44.57%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$4.29 SCR 62.1

-51.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$15.89 SCR 230

-38.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$8.28 SCR 120

-44.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$12.96 SCR 188

-40.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.07 SCR 29.93

59.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.42 SCR 35.04

-2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$6.59 SCR 95.4

-76.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.06 SCR 15.33

122.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.05 SCR 15.23

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.09 SCR 15.81

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$14.50 SCR 210

-79.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.19 SCR 31.75

-21.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.76 SCR 11.03

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$35.50 SCR 514

-64.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$14.40 SCR 209

-69.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.48 SCR 21.40

-10.14%

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

$49.22 SCR 713

144.98%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$21.81 SCR 316

-33.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$105 SCR 1,523

-73.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$52.9 SCR 766

-38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$6.26 SCR 90.6

-12.78%

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

$29.88 SCR 433

65.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$11.99 SCR 174

107.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$47.18 SCR 683

62.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$58.8 SCR 851

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$871 SCR 12.6K

-41.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$842 SCR 12.2K

-63.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,772 SCR 25.7K

-40.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,058 SCR 15.3K

-41.49%

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

$855 SCR 12.4K

-60.12%

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 Mahé: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Mahé

$842 47.9% 172% $532

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Mahé

$246 * 14% 17% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Mahé

$176 10% 7.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Mahé

$67 3.8% 29.7% $28

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mahé

$324 * 18.5% 267% $236

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Mahé

$65 3.7% 50.1% $22

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Mahé

$39 * 2.2% 150% $23

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 $506 in Cebu and $871 in Mahé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahé pays 151% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $108 in Mahé 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

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

15:28 3:28 PM

11:28 11:28 AM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

78,539

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 SCR = 6.91 USD

100 SCR = 6.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, 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 = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 14.48 SCR (100 SCR = 6.91 USD). 1 EUR = 16.24 SCR (100 SCR = 6.16 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Mahé 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mahé

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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 151% lower in Mahé. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $871 in Mahé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Mahé. 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 $1,799 in Mahé – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,799 in Mahé, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mahé. 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 Mahé, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Mahé 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 93% less than in Mahé. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.