Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
Learn more

Manakara Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Manakara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $397 in Manakara.

Cebu $918
Manakara $397

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $609 in Manakara.

Cebu $1,409
Manakara $609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $821 in Manakara.

Cebu $1,900
Manakara $821

Living in Cebu is roughly 131% more expensive than in Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Manakara 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

38.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$14.63 MGA 66.8K

65.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.44 MGA 15.7K

13.95%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.15 MGA 5,250

118.26%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.62 MGA 2,806

156.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.57 MGA 2,584

-7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.14 MGA 5,215

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.43 MGA 6,505

51.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.80 MGA 8,189

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.01 MGA 4,627

34.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.69 MGA 3,140

46.38%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.34 MGA 10.7K

-13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$6.40 MGA 29.2K

54.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.31 MGA 15.1K

32.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$3.51 MGA 16.0K

116.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$0.95 MGA 4,313

247.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.72 MGA 3,268

93.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.35 MGA 1,586

565.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.72 MGA 3,294

108.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.54 MGA 2,456

337.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.75 MGA 3,433

153.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.34 MGA 1,566

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.63 MGA 2,887

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.43 MGA 6,513

109.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.52 MGA 20.6K

33.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.02 MGA 4,660

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.30 MGA 5,918

34.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.23 MGA 1,051

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$34.89 MGA 159.1K

-63.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.10 MGA 4,995

-30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.20 MGA 10.0K

-89.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.34 MGA 15.2K

33.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.14 MGA 5,215

14.91%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$15.7K MGA 71.5M

35.52%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$20.1K MGA 91.6M

-4.60%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$42.27 MGA 192.8K

184.43%

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

$14.00 ₱882

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$53.3 MGA 243.0K

-48.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$11.44 MGA 52.2K

182.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$22.50 MGA 102.6K

1123.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$16.28 MGA 74.2K

203.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$20.38 MGA 93.0K

23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$44.83 MGA 204.5K

71.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$45.59 MGA 208.0K

25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$115 MGA 524.9K

200.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-70.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Manakara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Manakara

$129 32.6% 37.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Manakara

$96 * 24.1% 40.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Manakara

$57 14.4% 39.1% $37

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Manakara

$55 13.9% 37.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 73.8% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Manakara

$48 12.1% 208% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Cebu pays 201% 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 $15.00 in Manakara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $129 per month, with Manakara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

17:55 5:55 PM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

44,237

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Manakara 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Manakara

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 Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manakara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 201% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $397 in Manakara – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Manakara runs roughly 176% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Manakara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Manakara 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 Manakara 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 Manakara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.