Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Masallatah

For one person, living is cheaper in Masallatah: $369 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Masallatah
Learn more

Masallatah Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Masallatah

🇱🇾 Libya

$369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Masallatah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $369 in Masallatah.

Cebu $918
Masallatah $369

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $571 in Masallatah.

Cebu $1,409
Masallatah $571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $773 in Masallatah.

Cebu $1,900
Masallatah $773

Living in Cebu is roughly 149% more expensive than in Masallatah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Masallatah 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.83 LYD 24.54

-19.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$15.66 LYD 100

54.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.56 LYD 16.42

53.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.65 LYD 4.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 LYD 4.60

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$0.48 LYD 3.08

422.92%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.46 LYD 2.94

245.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.10 LYD 0.63

430.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.92 LYD 5.91

108.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.20 LYD 1.28

580.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.17 LYD 7.51

-13.68%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.42 LYD 9.12

42.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.35 LYD 34.29

84.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.49 LYD 22.35

25.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$9.36 LYD 60.0

-18.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.26 LYD 14.48

46.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.49 LYD 9.52

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$0.68 LYD 4.37

242.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.56 LYD 3.56

167.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.71 LYD 4.52

232.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.47 LYD 3.00

304.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.39 LYD 2.52

205.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.16 LYD 1.04

293.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.75 LYD 11.23

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 LYD 6.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 LYD 5.25

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.96 LYD 12.59

53.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.75 LYD 4.82

2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.45 LYD 2.87

-48.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.02 LYD 0.13

6450.00%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$23.2K LYD 148.4K

-8.29%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.1K LYD 135.2K

-9.25%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$93.4 LYD 598

28.77%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$6.20 LYD 39.71

125.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$27.43 LYD 176

0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

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

$52.9 LYD 339

420.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,528 LYD 9,792

418.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$22.85 LYD 146

115.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$17.53 LYD 112

43.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$65.2 LYD 418

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$65.1 LYD 417

-12.14%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Masallatah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Masallatah

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Masallatah

$115 31.3% 43.9% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Masallatah

$127 34.5% 21.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Masallatah

$77 20.8% 18.2% $17

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Masallatah

$46 12.6% 47.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Masallatah

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Masallatah

$3 * 0.8% 80.8% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $16.00 in Masallatah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $115 per month, with Masallatah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇾 Masallatah

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

20:29 8:29 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, 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).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Masallatah 11,200 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Masallatah

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 Masallatah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masallatah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $553 in Masallatah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $369 in Masallatah – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Masallatah 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 Masallatah 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 Masallatah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.