Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Monrovia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,296 in Monrovia, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. The total is higher in Monrovia despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Monrovia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,296 in Monrovia.

Cebu $934
Monrovia $1,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,926 in Monrovia.

Cebu $1,415
Monrovia $1,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,556 in Monrovia.

Cebu $1,896
Monrovia $2,556

Living in Cebu costs roughly 28% less than in Monrovia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Monrovia 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$7.33 LRD 1,248

-58.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$10.87 LRD 1,850

-62.37%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.96 LRD 505

-14.86%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$2.01 LRD 343

-23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$2.04 LRD 348

-75.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$3.92 LRD 667

-54.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.94 LRD 501

-23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.13 LRD 363

-8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.81 LRD 308

-20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$5.11 LRD 870

-80.04%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.53 LRD 602

-41.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$7.82 LRD 1,332

25.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$12.03 LRD 2,048

-61.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$13.53 LRD 2,303

-43.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.59 LRD 272

108.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$8.28 LRD 1,410

-82.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$10.11 LRD 1,721

-76.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$11.03 LRD 1,878

-86.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.25 LRD 384

4.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$10.54 LRD 1,795

-81.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$4.77 LRD 812

-75.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$2.06 LRD 350

-67.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.87 LRD 829

-38.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$7.16 LRD 1,219

-11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.43 LRD 413

-46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$3.44 LRD 586

-49.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$3.04 LRD 518

-91.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$19.82 LRD 3,374

-36.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$2.06 LRD 350

-64.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.91 LRD 324

-89.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$25.14 LRD 4,280

-82.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.22 LRD 208

9.02%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$19.8K LRD 3.4M

9.69%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

31.85%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$149 LRD 25.4K

-19.20%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$22.06 LRD 3,756

-34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$184 LRD 31.2K

-84.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$62.4 LRD 10.6K

-47.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$10.04 LRD 1,710

-36.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$5.14 LRD 876

6.23%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$98.2 LRD 16.7K

178.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$1,018 LRD 173.3K

701.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$24.95 LRD 4,248

98.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$32.14 LRD 5,472

-22.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$55.0 LRD 9,366

39.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$91.5 LRD 15.6K

-35.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$253 LRD 43.1K

99.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$96.0 LRD 16.4K

222.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$650 LRD 110.6K

61.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$267 LRD 45.5K

131.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$704 LRD 119.8K

-51.52%

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: October 5, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Monrovia

$96 7.5% 69% $213

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Monrovia

$456 35.6% 117% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Monrovia

$355 27.6% 117% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Monrovia

$92 7.1% 3.2% $3

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Monrovia

$169 13.1% 90.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Monrovia

$73 5.7% 66.6% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Monrovia

$44 3.4% 182% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $253 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 106% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

07:01 7:01 AM

8 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,010,970 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Liberian Dollar LRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LRD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 170 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Monrovia 14,670 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Monrovia

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 Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 106% lower in Monrovia. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $253 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Monrovia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,296 in Monrovia – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,296 in Monrovia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Monrovia. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cebu and Monrovia 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 39% less than in Monrovia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.