Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sao Joao da Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Sao Joao da Madeira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Cebu $918
Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,107 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Cebu $1,409
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,704 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Cebu $1,900
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704

Living in Cebu costs roughly 39% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Sao Joao da Madeira is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$10.06 €8.95

-69.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$19.79 €17.60

22.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.85 €6.98

-50.06%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.14 €1.01

120.18%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.09 €0.97

45.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.97 €0.87

-45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.32 €2.95

-46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.17 €1.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.85 €0.75

125.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.32 €0.28

325.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.14 €1.01

-11.40%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.68 €2.39

-24.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$8.58 €7.63

14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.52 €4.91

-20.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$6.51 €5.79

16.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.03 €1.81

62.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.35 €1.20

2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.83 €1.63

27.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.85 €2.54

-47.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.97 €1.75

19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.88 €1.67

1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.24 €1.10

-4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.98 €0.87

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.28 €5.59

-52.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$4.53 €4.03

33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.21 €1.07

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.63 €1.45

7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$2.24 €1.99

-88.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$39.68 €35.29

-68.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$4.33 €3.85

-82.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.78 €1.58

-87.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$16.67 €14.83

-73.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.90 €1.69

-31.05%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$33.1K €29.4K

-35.78%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$37.7K €33.5K

-49.16%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$110 €97.7

9.48%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$16.96 €15.08

-17.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$46.09 €40.99

-40.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.59 €33.44

-13.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$15.09 €13.42

-55.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.44 €4.84

3.86%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$341 €303

-19.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$10.0K €8,932

-21.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$65.5 €58.3

-24.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$37.57 €33.42

-32.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$82.7 €73.5

-6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$98.5 €87.6

-41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$957 €851

-47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$768 €683

-59.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,517 €1,349

-28.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,164 €1,035

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$2,957 €2,631

-2.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,267 €2,017

-15.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,048 €932

-66.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.55

102.82%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8% 149% $459

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2% 10.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5% 6.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5% 36.2% $34

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7% 66.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2% 11.1% $4.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1% 297% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Madeira pays 203% 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $184 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

22,144

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sao Joao da Madeira 12,520 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Sao Joao da Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 203% lower in Sao Joao da Madeira. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 214% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sao Joao da Madeira. 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 Sao Joao da Madeira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sao Joao da Madeira 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 65% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.