Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Manzini

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $354 in Manzini.

Cebu $934
Manzini $354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $515 in Manzini.

Cebu $1,415
Manzini $515

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $677 in Manzini.

Cebu $1,896
Manzini $677

Living in Cebu is roughly 164% more expensive than in Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Manzini 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.29 SZL 21.19

51.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.96 SZL 15.84

48.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.79 SZL 29.52

-43.02%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.18 SZL 19.51

74.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$7.49 SZL 124

30.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$2.96 SZL 48.83

55.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$1.85 SZL 30.51

316.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.33 SZL 21.91

148.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$0.59 SZL 9.73

145.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.83 SZL 13.65

184.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.51 SZL 8.48

201.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.58 SZL 9.60

306.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.47 SZL 7.73

323.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.45 SZL 7.36

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.70 SZL 11.47

-4.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.13 SZL 51.7

-4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$3.20 SZL 52.8

98.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$0.63 SZL 10.39

107.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$0.78 SZL 12.80

121.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.60 SZL 9.89

-58.33%

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

$1.32 SZL 21.79

0.76%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

27.20%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

23.31%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$72.4 SZL 1,193

66.57%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$12.23 SZL 202

18.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$29.97 SZL 494

-5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$3.68 SZL 60.6

48.37%

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

$170 SZL 2,801

197.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$105 SZL 1,734

194.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$367 SZL 6,054

186.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$274 SZL 4,517

125.86%

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

$404 SZL 6,657

-15.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-28.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $170 in Manzini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manzini pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

110,508

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Manzini 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzini is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Manzini. 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 $170 in Manzini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Cebu. 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 $354 in Manzini – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Manzini 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 Manzini 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 Manzini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.