Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mawlamyine

For one person, living is cheaper in Mawlamyine: $655 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Mawlamyine
Learn more

Mawlamyine Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Mawlamyine

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mawlamyine

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $655 in Mawlamyine.

Cebu $918
Mawlamyine $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $956 in Mawlamyine.

Cebu $1,409
Mawlamyine $956

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,258 in Mawlamyine.

Cebu $1,900
Mawlamyine $1,258

Living in Cebu is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Mawlamyine 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.97 MMK 4,115

56.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.89 MMK 10.2K

-19.84%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.03 MMK 2,150

143.69%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.48 MMK 1,009

231.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.53 MMK 3,201

41.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.92 MMK 1,923

108.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.52 MMK 1,095

161.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.97 MMK 6,228

-31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.28 MMK 17.3K

19.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.16 MMK 4,519

103.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$3.88 MMK 8,124

95.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.62 MMK 3,400

103.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.91 MMK 1,900

52.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.70 MMK 3,554

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.84 MMK 5,943

-47.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.52 MMK 3,177

55.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.34 MMK 702

458.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.54 MMK 3,217

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.19 MMK 389

231.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.23 MMK 2,577

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.85 MMK 3,875

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.46 MMK 3,054

-82.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.99 MMK 4,163

-61.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.49 MMK 5,208

-90.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.76 MMK 3,686

-25.57%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$49.7K MMK 104.1M

-57.29%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$35.0K MMK 73.4M

-45.36%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$75.4 MMK 157.9K

59.44%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$25.31 MMK 53.0K

-44.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$50.5 MMK 105.7K

-45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$120 MMK 251.1K

-73.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$4.94 MMK 10.3K

34.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$10.03 MMK 21.0K

-43.67%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$507 MMK 1.1M

-45.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$9,090 MMK 19.0M

-12.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$38.71 MMK 81.0K

27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$36.32 MMK 76.1K

-30.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$23.72 MMK 49.7K

141.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$247 MMK 517.3K

102.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$119 MMK 250.1K

158.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$601 MMK 1.3M

79.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$246 MMK 515.9K

149.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$797 MMK 1.7M

262.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$506 MMK 1.1M

278.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

44.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mawlamyine: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Mawlamyine

$119 18.2% 61.3% $189

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Mawlamyine

$132 * 20.1% 36.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Mawlamyine

$151 23.1% 6.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Mawlamyine

$44 * 6.8% 52.7% $49

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mawlamyine

$48 * 7.3% 46% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Mawlamyine

$140 21.4% 221% $96

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Mawlamyine

$20 * 3.1% 30.1% $4.7

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 $247 in Mawlamyine. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇲 Mawlamyine

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

1 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

300,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mawlamyine 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mawlamyine

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 Mawlamyine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mawlamyine is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $982 in Mawlamyine 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $247 in Mawlamyine. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $275 in Cebu versus $507 in Mawlamyine. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Mawlamyine 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 Mawlamyine 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 Mawlamyine gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.