Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Middelburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,089 in Middelburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
Learn more

Middelburg Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Middelburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,089 in Middelburg.

Cebu $918
Middelburg $1,089

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,696 in Middelburg.

Cebu $1,409
Middelburg $1,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,303 in Middelburg.

Cebu $1,900
Middelburg $2,303

Living in Cebu costs roughly 16% less than in Middelburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Middelburg 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$9.75 R 161

-68.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$35.51 R 585

-31.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.72 R 94.3

-31.47%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.35 R 22.19

85.93%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.85 R 14.06

87.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.60 R 9.95

-11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.17 R 19.31

52.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.54 R 25.41

40.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.14 R 18.78

68.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.08 R 17.83

25.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.51 R 24.91

-33.11%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.70 R 28.01

19.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.93 R 97.7

66.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.13 R 84.6

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.54 R 108

16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.64 R 26.95

101.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.08 R 17.83

28.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.15 R 19.00

102.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.23 R 20.30

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.68 R 27.62

40.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.19 R 19.64

59.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.19 R 19.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.95 R 15.71

-33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$2.41 R 39.66

24.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.95 R 81.5

21.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.85 R 30.47

-33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.04 R 33.65

-14.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.44 R 23.77

-82.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$42.42 R 699

-70.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.59 R 9.66

30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.87 R 14.38

-73.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$11.56 R 190

-61.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.32 R 21.81

-0.76%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$35.1K R 577.9K

-39.44%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.1K R 528.4K

-40.30%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$145 R 2,382

-16.83%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$34.32 R 565

-59.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$37.05 R 610

-25.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$31.85 R 525

1.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$10.78 R 178

-38.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.19 R 118

-21.42%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$243 R 4,005

13.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,359 R 88.3K

47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$53.1 R 874

-7.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$32.83 R 541

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$98.5 R 1,623

-21.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$88.3 R 1,455

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$387 R 6,369

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$354 R 5,836

-12.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$736 R 12.1K

46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$742 R 12.2K

-17.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$878 R 14.5K

228.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$665 R 10.9K

188.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,193 R 19.6K

-70.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.94

-34.19%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Middelburg

$354 32.5% 14.7% $45

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Middelburg

$170 15.7% 17.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Middelburg

$216 19.8% 33.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Middelburg

$123 11.3% 30.6% $29

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Middelburg

$126 11.6% 42.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Middelburg

$46 4.3% 6% $2.6

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Middelburg

$53 4.9% 241% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $387 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 245% 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 $36.00 in Middelburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $170, with Middelburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

16:05 4:05 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

87,348

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Middelburg 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Middelburg

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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 245% lower in Middelburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $387 in Middelburg. 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 $1,089 in Middelburg – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 236% less than in Middelburg. 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 Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Middelburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Middelburg 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Middelburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.