Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Rabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $834 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Rabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $834 in Rabat.

Cebu $934
Rabat $834

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,433 in Rabat.

Cebu $1,415
Rabat $1,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,031 in Rabat.

Cebu $1,896
Rabat $2,031

Living in Cebu is roughly 12% more expensive than in Rabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Rabat 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$4.27 MAD 41.59

-29.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$40.69 MAD 396

-42.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$6.91 MAD 67.3

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.92 MAD 18.64

31.25%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.56 MAD 5.48

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.35 MAD 3.42

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$5.07 MAD 49.31

-64.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.09 MAD 30.08

-26.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.86 MAD 8.37

126.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.65 MAD 6.29

120.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.91 MAD 18.58

-46.60%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.84 MAD 17.94

11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$11.01 MAD 107

-10.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$6.63 MAD 64.6

-30.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$11.99 MAD 117

-35.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$1.59 MAD 15.49

108.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.36 MAD 13.19

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.83 MAD 8.08

184.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.88 MAD 8.57

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.71 MAD 6.93

232.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.79 MAD 7.65

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.39 MAD 3.83

194.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.58 MAD 5.65

15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.10 MAD 39.89

-26.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$7.14 MAD 69.6

-11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.62 MAD 25.54

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.61 MAD 25.42

-33.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.49 MAD 4.77

-48.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$24.98 MAD 243

-49.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$0.72 MAD 6.99

2.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$0.58 MAD 5.66

-63.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.48 MAD 14.37

-10.14%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$30.2K MAD 293.8K

-27.88%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$29.6K MAD 288.2K

-34.48%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$35.22 MAD 343

242.36%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$9.44 MAD 91.9

53.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$33.23 MAD 324

-14.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$27.99 MAD 272

16.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$23.54 MAD 229

-72.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$5.97 MAD 58.1

-8.54%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$180 MAD 1,753

51.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$9,210 MAD 89.7K

-11.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$46.06 MAD 448

7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$39.15 MAD 381

-36.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$91.4 MAD 889

-16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$64.9 MAD 632

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$521 MAD 5,075

-2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$268 MAD 2,611

15.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$956 MAD 9,310

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$686 MAD 6,683

-9.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$1,967 MAD 19.1K

48.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$1,136 MAD 11.1K

64.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$695 MAD 6,765

-50.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.52

59.29%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rabat: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Rabat

$268 32% 13.3% $41

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Rabat

$201 23.9% 4.5% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Rabat

$78 9.3% 52.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Rabat

$109 13% 14.8% $14

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Rabat

$113 13.5% 27.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Rabat

$40 4.8% 8.4% $3.7

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Rabat

$31 3.6% 98% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $521 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rabat pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $41.00 in Rabat. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $201, with Rabat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇦 Rabat

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

12:56 12:56 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

573,895 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 MAD = 10.27 USD

100 MAD = 9.17 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, 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 = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.74 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.91 MAD (100 MAD = 9.17 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Rabat 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Rabat

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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabat is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 104% lower in Rabat. 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 $521 in Rabat. 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 $834 in Rabat – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rabat runs roughly 97% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $834 in Rabat versus $934 in Cebu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rabat 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.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.