Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Midlands

For one person, living is cheaper in Midlands: $621 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Midlands
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Midlands Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Midlands

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Midlands

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $621 in Midlands.

Cebu $918
Midlands $621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,041 in Midlands.

Cebu $1,409
Midlands $1,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,461 in Midlands.

Cebu $1,900
Midlands $1,461

Living in Cebu is roughly 48% more expensive than in Midlands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Midlands 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$5.78 MUR 272

-46.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$38.17 MUR 1,797

-36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.46 MUR 351

-47.45%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.69 MUR 127

-6.69%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.12 MUR 52.8

41.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.67 MUR 31.64

-20.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.60 MUR 123

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.74 MUR 223

-54.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.60 MUR 75.3

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.71 MUR 33.65

91.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.10 MUR 51.8

-8.18%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.63 MUR 124

-22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.33 MUR 251

84.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$6.14 MUR 289

-28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$11.08 MUR 522

-31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.74 MUR 129

20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.64 MUR 125

-47.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.42 MUR 67.1

64.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.98 MUR 140

-49.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.92 MUR 43.45

156.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.00 MUR 47.23

90.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.68 MUR 31.98

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.88 MUR 41.57

-28.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.47 MUR 304

-53.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.63 MUR 406

-30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.64 MUR 77.2

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.35 MUR 111

-25.53%

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

$4.23 MUR 199

-81.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$3.13 MUR 148

-92.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$21.28 MUR 1,002

-79.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.40 MUR 65.8

-6.43%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$37.0K MUR 1.7M

-42.52%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-38.46%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$44.88 MUR 2,113

167.89%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$10.59 MUR 499

32.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$29.02 MUR 1,366

-5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.46 MUR 304

-12.54%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$128 MUR 6,031

114.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$7,748 MUR 364.8K

2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$77.7 MUR 3,657

-36.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$72.9 MUR 3,433

-65.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$121 MUR 5,712

-36.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$76.1 MUR 3,584

-24.87%

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

6.67

7.95%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Midlands: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Midlands

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Midlands

$216 34.9% 5.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Midlands

$85 13.6% 47.8% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Midlands

$157 25.2% 66.7% $63

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Midlands

$131 21% 47.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Midlands

$13 * 2.1% 70.4% $31

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Midlands

$20 * 3.2% 27.8% $4.3

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 $38.00 in Midlands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $216 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇺 Midlands

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

4,546

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Midlands 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Midlands

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 Midlands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midlands is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and utilities. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $931 in Midlands 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.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 5% 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 $621 in Midlands – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Midlands 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 Midlands 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 Midlands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.