Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mandaluyong

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,066 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mandaluyong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
Learn more

Mandaluyong Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,066

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mandaluyong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,066 in Mandaluyong.

Cebu $934
Mandaluyong $1,066

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,643 in Mandaluyong.

Cebu $1,423
Mandaluyong $1,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $2,221 in Mandaluyong.

Cebu $1,913
Mandaluyong $2,221

Living in Cebu costs roughly 12% less than in Mandaluyong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Mandaluyong 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$4.81 ₱308

-21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$16.11 ₱1,029

44.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$3.48 ₱222

13.22%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.20 ₱140

15.45%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.96 ₱61.3

63.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.49 ₱31.06

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.16 ₱74.0

52.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.33 ₱149

-4.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.65 ₱105

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$1.31 ₱83.9

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.94 ₱60.2

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.19 ₱140

-9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$5.07 ₱324

91.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$4.78 ₱306

-9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$6.81 ₱435

10.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$3.30 ₱211

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.89 ₱121

-27.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$3.00 ₱191

-22.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.80 ₱115

-17.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$2.21 ₱141

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$2.56 ₱164

-26.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$0.62 ₱39.34

77.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.48 ₱30.91

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$2.81 ₱179

1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$8.55 ₱546

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$0.88 ₱56.0

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.02 ₱129

-14.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.32 ₱20.59

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$13.10 ₱837

-5.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.76 ₱48.38

-2.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.24 ₱15.38

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$1.90 ₱121

125.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.20 ₱76.5

9.17%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

-1.55%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

1.56%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$138 ₱8,839

-14.41%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$17.04 ₱1,089

-7.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$23.94 ₱1,530

18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$31.69 ₱2,025

3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$6.03 ₱385

-9.62%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$132 ₱8,429

109.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$8,937 ₱571.0K

-12.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$27.86 ₱1,780

72.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$27.00 ₱1,725

-9.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$70.5 ₱4,505

6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$55.2 ₱3,529

5.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$727 ₱46.4K

-34.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$457 ₱29.2K

-29.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$2,395 ₱153.0K

-59.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$996 ₱63.6K

-37.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$4,203 ₱268.6K

8.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$2,924 ₱186.8K

3.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$537 ₱34.3K

-37.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.75

6.67%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mandaluyong: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Mandaluyong

$457 42.9% 42.1% $136

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Mandaluyong

$196 18.4% 3.7% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Mandaluyong

$179 16.8% 10.4% $17

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Mandaluyong

$92 8.6% 2.7% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Mandaluyong

$81 7.6% 12.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Mandaluyong

$44 4.1% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Mandaluyong

$16 1.5% 8.6% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $727 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $16 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $196 per month, with Mandaluyong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

425,758

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mandaluyong 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mandaluyong

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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Cebu. 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: $477 in Cebu versus $727 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,066 in Mandaluyong – Cebu is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 6% less than in Mandaluyong. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Mandaluyong are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cebu wins on affordability, Mandaluyong on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.