Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Moratuwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Moratuwa: $131 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$934

/mo nomad

Moratuwa

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Moratuwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $131 in Moratuwa.

Cebu $934
Moratuwa $131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,423 in Cebu versus $211 in Moratuwa.

Cebu $1,423
Moratuwa $211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Cebu versus $291 in Moratuwa.

Cebu $1,913
Moratuwa $291

Living in Cebu is roughly 611% more expensive than in Moratuwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 31% lower, Moratuwa 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 ₱242

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.33 ₱1,491

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱252

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱163

$1.84 LKR 611

38.04%

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

$1.57 ₱100

$0.71 LKR 234

121.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.82

$0.15 LKR 49.28

213.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.85 LKR 616

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₱142

$2.46 LKR 816

-9.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱121

$1.25 LKR 417

52.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱87.1

$0.46 LKR 154

195.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.8

$0.82 LKR 272

14.63%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱127

$2.36 LKR 785

-15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₱620

$12.27 LKR 4,078

-20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱276

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 ₱480

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.5

$0.46 LKR 154

197.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱95.4

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₱120

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱70.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱183

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 ₱389

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱81.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱47.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ₱273

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱83.7

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

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

$118 ₱7,565

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

$15.76 ₱1,007

$4.44 LKR 1,475

254.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.33 ₱1,810

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.94 ₱2,105

$15.01 LKR 4,989

119.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 ₱415

$3.08 LKR 1,024

110.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₱348

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

$276 ₱17.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,789 ₱497.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.18 ₱3,078

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.47 ₱1,564

$6.05 LKR 2,013

304.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₱4,810

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ₱3,707

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 ₱30.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₱61.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₱40.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,551 ₱290.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 ₱193.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 ₱21.3K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Moratuwa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.5%

Moratuwa

–

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$204 21.8%

Moratuwa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.4%

Moratuwa

–

Eating Out

Cebu

$94 10.1%

Moratuwa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Moratuwa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Moratuwa

–

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Moratuwa

–

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇱🇰 Moratuwa

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

2 h 30 min behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

207,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Moratuwa 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Moratuwa

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 Moratuwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moratuwa is about 86% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $197 in Moratuwa 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 193% higher in Cebu. 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 $131 in Moratuwa – Moratuwa is about 86% 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 Moratuwa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.