Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mambajao

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
Learn more

Mambajao Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mambajao

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $508 in Mambajao.

Cebu $918
Mambajao $508

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $817 in Mambajao.

Cebu $1,409
Mambajao $817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,126 in Mambajao.

Cebu $1,900
Mambajao $1,126

Living in Cebu is roughly 81% more expensive than in Mambajao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Mambajao 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.36 ₱85.9

127.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$15.83 ₱997

53.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.40 ₱214

15.29%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.28 ₱144

10.09%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.38 ₱24.02

318.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 ₱16.81

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.03 ₱64.6

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.12 ₱70.6

93.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.90 ₱56.8

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.63 ₱39.56

115.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.66 ₱41.56

53.03%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.26 ₱79.5

61.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.90 ₱372

67.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.29 ₱270

2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$5.50 ₱346

38.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.54 ₱160

29.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.63 ₱103

-14.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.24 ₱141

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.13 ₱71.3

32.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.29 ₱81.3

82.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.06 ₱130

-7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.90 ₱56.8

32.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.55 ₱34.37

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.51 ₱158

19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.42 ₱467

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.99 ₱62.0

24.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.13 ₱70.9

54.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.20 ₱12.47

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$10.71 ₱675

18.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.69 ₱43.54

11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.21 ₱12.97

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$1.70 ₱107

162.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.28 ₱80.3

2.34%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.9K ₱1.4M

-3.22%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-12.00%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$64.9 ₱4,083

85.40%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.36 ₱1,030

-14.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$20.10 ₱1,266

37.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$27.72 ₱1,745

16.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$4.68 ₱295

42.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.95 ₱312

14.14%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$127 ₱7,995

116.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$8,993 ₱566.2K

-11.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$30.83 ₱1,941

60.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$22.01 ₱1,386

14.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$72.3 ₱4,553

6.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$63.1 ₱3,975

-9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$101 ₱6,360

394.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$56.3 ₱3,542

448.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$237 ₱14.9K

354.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$158 ₱9,973

288.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,172 ₱136.7K

32.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$990 ₱62.3K

93.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$153 ₱9,616

126.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.79

6.04%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mambajao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Mambajao

$56 11.1% 81.8% $253

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Mambajao

$156 30.7% 24.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Mambajao

$101 20% 37.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Mambajao

$85 16.7% 9.8% $9.2

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mambajao

$59 11.5% 33.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Mambajao

$38 7.4% 13.8% $6

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Mambajao

$13 2.6% 15% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $101 in Mambajao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 126% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $156 per month, with Mambajao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

41,094

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mambajao 150 km

From you

Cebu
Mambajao

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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mambajao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $101 in Mambajao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $508 in Mambajao – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mambajao runs roughly 18% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Mambajao 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 Mambajao 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 Mambajao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.