Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Oued Zem

For one person, living is cheaper in Oued Zem: $744 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Oued Zem
🇲🇦 Morocco
$744
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Oued Zem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $744 in Oued Zem.

  • Cebu $918
  • Oued Zem $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,188 in Oued Zem.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Oued Zem $1,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,633 in Oued Zem.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Oued Zem $1,633

Living in Cebu is roughly 23% more expensive than in Oued Zem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Oued Zem 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$4.23 MAD 41.20
-26.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$41.45 MAD 404
-41.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$7.16 MAD 69.8
-45.25%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$1.97 MAD 19.23
27.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.54 MAD 5.25
194.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.37 MAD 3.56
43.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$5.08 MAD 49.57
-64.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$3.28 MAD 31.95
-33.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$0.84 MAD 8.16
128.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$0.63 MAD 6.09
115.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.89 MAD 18.40
-46.56%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.89 MAD 18.42
7.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$11.57 MAD 113
-14.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$6.72 MAD 65.6
-34.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$12.01 MAD 117
-36.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$1.62 MAD 15.82
103.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$1.38 MAD 13.50
0.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$0.82 MAD 8.00
184.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$0.83 MAD 8.13
80.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$0.69 MAD 6.71
242.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$0.76 MAD 7.36
150.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.40 MAD 3.93
197.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.65 MAD 6.34
-3.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$4.15 MAD 40.43
-27.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$7.61 MAD 74.2
-20.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$2.62 MAD 25.51
-53.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.73 MAD 26.60
-35.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.52 MAD 5.10
-51.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$18.72 MAD 183
-32.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$0.70 MAD 6.86
10.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$0.75 MAD 7.30
-69.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$4.02 MAD 39.19
10.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.51 MAD 14.72
-13.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$30.9K MAD 301.7K
-31.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$30.9K MAD 301.7K
-38.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$36.62 MAD 357
228.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$10.06 MAD 98.0
39.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$34.17 MAD 333
-19.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$29.12 MAD 284
11.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$20.76 MAD 202
-67.97%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$6.16 MAD 60.0
-8.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$185 MAD 1,807
48.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$9,495 MAD 92.6K
-16.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$49.33 MAD 481
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$40.51 MAD 395
-37.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$93.8 MAD 915
-17.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$65.2 MAD 636
-12.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$278 MAD 2,712
79.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$165 MAD 1,607
87.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$478 MAD 4,664
125.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$246 MAD 2,398
150.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$1,115 MAD 10.9K
158.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$767 MAD 7,480
149.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Oued Zem
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$239 MAD 2,333
44.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
4.55
58.24%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Oued Zem
$165 46.6% $144
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Oued Zem
$205 0.5% $1.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Oued Zem
$81 50% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Oued Zem
$112 19.2% $18
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Oued Zem
$115 29.8% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Oued Zem
$41 5% $2.2
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Oued Zem
$25 62.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $278 in Oued Zem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 45% 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 $41.00 in Oued Zem. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $205, with Oued Zem cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇲🇦 Oued Zem
🕒 Local time
16:45 4:45 PM
09:45 9:45 AM
7 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
95,267
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Oued Zem 12,910 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Oued Zem

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 Oued Zem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oued Zem cheaper than Cebu?
Oued Zem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Oued Zem?
Average pay runs 45% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Oued Zem?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $278 in Oued Zem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Oued Zem?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $744 in Oued Zem – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Oued Zem runs roughly 48% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,200 enough for either Cebu or Oued Zem?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Oued Zem gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Oued Zem more family-friendly?
For families, Oued Zem 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Oued Zem?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Oued Zem are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Oued Zem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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