Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Matara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $579 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Matara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $579 in Matara.

Cebu $918
Matara $579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $845 in Matara.

Cebu $1,409
Matara $845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,112 in Matara.

Cebu $1,900
Matara $1,112

Living in Cebu is roughly 59% more expensive than in Matara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Matara 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.81 LKR 1,262

-18.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$24.67 LKR 8,171

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.70 LKR 2,551

-49.09%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.46 LKR 815

2.03%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.67 LKR 222

137.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 LKR 89.5

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.22 LKR 735

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.04 LKR 1,006

-28.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.56 LKR 516

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.53 LKR 176

156.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.76 LKR 251

32.89%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.52 LKR 504

33.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.89 LKR 4,601

-29.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$4.98 LKR 1,651

-11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$7.39 LKR 2,449

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$6.70 LKR 2,220

-50.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.47 LKR 155

195.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$4.48 LKR 1,485

-47.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.85 LKR 281

76.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.97 LKR 322

143.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.62 LKR 206

206.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.93 LKR 308

27.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.46 LKR 151

36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$9.74 LKR 3,227

-69.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$13.05 LKR 4,321

-53.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.85 LKR 612

-33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.91 LKR 963

-39.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.29 LKR 94.6

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.40 LKR 134

92.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.37 LKR 123

-37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$0.87 LKR 288

412.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.32 LKR 437

-0.76%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$36.8K LKR 12.2M

-42.20%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$40.5K LKR 13.4M

-52.78%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$46.01 LKR 15.2K

161.31%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$4.29 LKR 1,420

226.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$21.18 LKR 7,016

30.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.42 LKR 1,464

27.83%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$38.19 LKR 12.6K

620.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,210 LKR 400.7K

554.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$18.27 LKR 6,051

170.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$16.83 LKR 5,575

49.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$80.0 LKR 26.5K

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$41.05 LKR 13.6K

39.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$184 LKR 61.0K

171.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$89.1 LKR 29.5K

246.56%

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

$106 LKR 35.2K

225.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

12.69

-43.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Matara: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Matara

$89 15.4% 71.1% $220

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Matara

$232 40% 12.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Matara

$71 12.4% 55.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Matara

$70 12.1% 25.2% $24

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Matara

$104 18% 17.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Matara

$8.8 * 1.5% 79.7% $35

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6% 78.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $184 in Matara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 226% 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 $25.00 in Matara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $232 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Matara

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

100,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, 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).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Matara 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Matara

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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matara is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 226% 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: $500 in Cebu versus $184 in Matara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $579 in Matara – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Matara 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 Matara 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 Matara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.