Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $613 in Medan.

Cebu $918
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $940 in Medan.

Cebu $1,409
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,266 in Medan.

Cebu $1,900
Medan $1,266

Living in Cebu is roughly 50% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Medan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

80.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

191.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

32.88%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

64.05%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.35 Rp 6,215

354.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.25 Rp 4,534

112.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-39.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

72.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

24.69%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

53.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

21.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

22.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

19.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

32.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

64.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

61.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

180.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.38 Rp 6,905

213.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.44 Rp 7,872

43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

4.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

-61.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

-41.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.27 Rp 4,816

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

113.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.51 Rp 9,186

50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.19 Rp 3,465

21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

63.75%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

-13.89%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-40.57%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

41.71%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

341.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

90.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

-20.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

71.73%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$112 Rp 2.0M

146.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

367.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

-9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

-34.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$108 Rp 1.9M

-28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$111 Rp 2.0M

-48.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$233 Rp 4.2M

114.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

244.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$494 Rp 8.9M

118.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$212 Rp 3.8M

190.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

149.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$560 Rp 10.1M

242.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$215 Rp 3.9M

60.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.25

-22.16%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Medan

$90 14.6% 70.9% $219

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Medan

$181 29.5% 12.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 31% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Medan

$140 22.9% 49.3% $46

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Medan

$59 9.6% 33.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Medan

$24 3.8% 46.1% $20

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 45.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 61% 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 $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Medan 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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 $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $613 in Medan – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 113% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Medan 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 Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.