Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Pietermaritzburg despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,036

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Pietermaritzburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg.

Cebu $934
Pietermaritzburg $1,036

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,560 in Pietermaritzburg.

Cebu $1,415
Pietermaritzburg $1,560

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,083 in Pietermaritzburg.

Cebu $1,896
Pietermaritzburg $2,083

Living in Cebu costs roughly 10% less than in Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Pietermaritzburg 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$7.91 R 130

-61.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$35.62 R 588

-34.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$5.61 R 92.6

-27.09%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.29 R 37.86

10.04%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.16 R 19.12

32.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.97 R 16.08

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.24 R 36.89

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.56 R 42.25

-11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.33 R 21.88

46.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.00 R 16.45

43.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.74 R 28.78

-41.38%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$3.20 R 52.7

-35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$6.93 R 114

41.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$4.96 R 81.8

-7.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$6.57 R 108

17.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.02 R 33.40

63.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.90 R 31.31

-23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.20 R 36.35

7.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.06 R 34.00

-25.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.75 R 28.92

34.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.75 R 28.93

13.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.53 R 25.31

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.09 R 17.98

-38.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.01 R 49.69

-0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$3.94 R 65.0

61.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.38 R 22.72

-5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.80 R 29.70

-3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$2.84 R 46.92

-91.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$19.57 R 323

-35.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$1.65 R 27.23

-55.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.07 R 17.60

-80.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.42 R 23.49

-6.34%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$26.7K R 440.1K

-18.41%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$26.2K R 432.5K

-26.01%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$206 R 3,398

-41.45%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$31.68 R 523

-54.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$36.96 R 610

-23.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$43.95 R 725

-25.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$3.03 R 50.1

110.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$4.72 R 77.8

15.68%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$181 R 2,993

50.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$5,207 R 85.9K

56.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$55.4 R 914

-10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$33.93 R 560

-26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$116 R 1,910

-33.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$68.9 R 1,137

-14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$219 R 3,607

131.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$222 R 3,670

39.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$581 R 9,593

80.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$406 R 6,698

52.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$5,971 R 98.5K

-51.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$149 R 2,455

1155.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$1,074 R 17.7K

-68.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.67

-38.30%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Pietermaritzburg

$222 21.4% 28.1% $87

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$195 18.8% 7.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.4% 68.1% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Pietermaritzburg

$123 11.9% 30.3% $29

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 49.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.1% 22.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 146% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $219 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pietermaritzburg pays 215% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Pietermaritzburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $195, with Pietermaritzburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

10:36 10:36 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

618,536

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Pietermaritzburg 10,910 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Pietermaritzburg

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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Pietermaritzburg. 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 $219 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,036 in Pietermaritzburg – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 55% less than in Pietermaritzburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Safety-wise, Cebu and Pietermaritzburg 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 11% less than in Pietermaritzburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.