Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mindelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $388 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mindelo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $388 in Mindelo.

Cebu $943
Mindelo $388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $894 in Mindelo.

Cebu $1,437
Mindelo $894

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $1,399 in Mindelo.

Cebu $1,930
Mindelo $1,399

Living in Cebu is roughly 143% more expensive than in Mindelo.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Mindelo 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$8.86 CVE 870

-56.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$54.8 CVE 5,380

-57.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$1.14 CVE 112

124.56%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$1.28 CVE 126

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.04

$1.04 CVE 102

-50.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

$2.74 CVE 269

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

$1.48 CVE 145

45.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.45 CVE 143

37.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$1.10 CVE 108

24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.9

$0.78 CVE 76.7

21.79%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$2.57 CVE 252

-21.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$15.99 CVE 1,571

-39.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$17.27 CVE 1,697

-55.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.12 CVE 208

55.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$1.97 CVE 194

-35.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$2.91 CVE 286

-19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.4

$3.08 CVE 303

-50.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$0.85 CVE 83.4

162.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.68 CVE 165

14.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$1.03 CVE 101

14.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.94

$0.71 CVE 69.6

-8.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$5.00 CVE 491

-42.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

$8.04 CVE 790

-21.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$1.96 CVE 193

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$2.06 CVE 203

-20.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.42 CVE 40.94

-45.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱771

$30.05 CVE 2,952

-59.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.6

$1.56 CVE 153

-47.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.57

$1.55 CVE 152

-87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$9.97 CVE 979

-56.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$1.65 CVE 162

-16.36%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

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

$124 ₱7,818

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,768

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,104

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$2.98 CVE 293

114.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱369

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

$271 ₱17.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,043

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,547

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,858

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,559

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.4K

$358 CVE 35.2K

176.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.6K

$254 CVE 25.0K

146.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mindelo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Mindelo

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Mindelo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Mindelo

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Mindelo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Mindelo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Mindelo

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Mindelo

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $55 in Mindelo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $237 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

01:41 1:41 AM

9 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

70,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.18 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 62.98 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 98.25 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.11 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mindelo 15,450 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mindelo

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 Mindelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $943 in Cebu and $388 in Mindelo, so Mindelo is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $582 in Mindelo 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 13% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $388 in Mindelo – Mindelo is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Mindelo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.