Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Marawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $720 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Marawi
Learn more

Marawi Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Marawi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $720 in Marawi.

Cebu $934
Marawi $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $1,102 in Marawi.

Cebu $1,423
Marawi $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $1,484 in Marawi.

Cebu $1,913
Marawi $1,484

Living in Cebu is roughly 30% more expensive than in Marawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Marawi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

$3.83 ₱245

-1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

$18.52 ₱1,183

25.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

$2.69 ₱172

46.47%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$2.18 ₱139

16.51%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.68 ₱43.31

130.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.30 ₱19.46

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.28 ₱82.1

38.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.25 ₱144

-1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.58 ₱101

20.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$1.15 ₱73.4

18.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.91 ₱58.2

3.30%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$1.90 ₱121

4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$5.60 ₱358

73.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

$4.13 ₱264

4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

$6.85 ₱438

9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$2.40 ₱153

37.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$1.52 ₱96.9

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.32 ₱148

0.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

$1.15 ₱73.6

29.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$2.07 ₱132

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

$2.25 ₱144

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

$1.10 ₱70.5

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

$0.58 ₱36.79

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

$3.30 ₱211

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

$6.50 ₱415

-6.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$0.85 ₱54.0

49.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

$2.14 ₱137

-19.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.22 ₱14.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

$11.88 ₱759

3.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

$0.73 ₱46.65

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

$0.24 ₱15.59

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

$1.72 ₱110

148.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

$1.21 ₱77.4

8.26%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

2.48%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

0.67%

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

$118 ₱7,565

$129 ₱8,217

-7.92%

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$15.78 ₱1,008

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

$23.96 ₱1,531

18.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$27.95 ₱1,786

17.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$5.10 ₱326

27.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

$5.13 ₱328

6.24%

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

$276 ₱17.6K

$128 ₱8,180

115.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

$7,981 ₱509.9K

-2.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

$31.94 ₱2,040

50.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$19.14 ₱1,223

27.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

$70.6 ₱4,512

6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

$54.5 ₱3,480

6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

$252 ₱16.1K

89.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

$164 ₱10.5K

96.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

$487 ₱31.1K

97.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

$346 ₱22.1K

80.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

$2,810 ₱179.5K

62.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

$1,103 ₱70.5K

174.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

$284 ₱18.1K

17.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.92

4.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marawi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Marawi

$164 22.7% 49.1% $158

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Marawi

$176 24.5% 13.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Marawi

$168 23.4% 3.6% $5.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Marawi

$80 11.1% 15.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Marawi

$79 11% 14.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Marawi

$38 5.3% 12.8% $5.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Marawi

$15 2% 2.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Cebu and $252 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 18% 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 in Cebu vs $19 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $176 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇭 Marawi

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

Same time as Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

207,010

💱 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 Marawi 260 km

From you

Cebu
Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marawi is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $477 in Cebu versus $252 in Marawi. 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 $720 in Marawi – Marawi is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 4% less than in Cebu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Marawi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.