Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Surinam

For one person, living is cheaper in Surinam: $626 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Surinam
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Surinam Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Surinam

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Surinam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $626 in Surinam.

Cebu $915
Surinam $626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,049 in Surinam.

Cebu $1,418
Surinam $1,049

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,472 in Surinam.

Cebu $1,921
Surinam $1,472

Living in Cebu is roughly 46% more expensive than in Surinam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Surinam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$5.96 MUR 280

-48.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$38.18 MUR 1,797

-37.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$7.54 MUR 355

-47.08%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$2.70 MUR 127

-7.41%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.18 MUR 55.3

30.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.68 MUR 31.99

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.68 MUR 126

-33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$4.62 MUR 218

-53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.61 MUR 75.6

24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$0.72 MUR 33.80

90.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.10 MUR 51.8

-6.36%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.65 MUR 125

-23.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$5.31 MUR 250

92.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$6.18 MUR 291

-27.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$11.05 MUR 520

-30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.81 MUR 132

17.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.66 MUR 125

-45.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.45 MUR 68.3

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$2.98 MUR 140

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.93 MUR 43.58

151.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.96 MUR 45.08

102.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.73 MUR 34.57

58.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.89 MUR 41.98

-23.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$6.34 MUR 298

-52.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$8.60 MUR 405

-27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.66 MUR 78.3

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.38 MUR 112

-27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$4.09 MUR 192

-80.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$3.22 MUR 151

-93.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$20.97 MUR 987

-78.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.39 MUR 65.2

-5.04%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$37.0K MUR 1.7M

-43.17%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$30.4K MUR 1.4M

-36.27%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$44.93 MUR 2,115

163.85%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$10.67 MUR 502

33.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$28.60 MUR 1,346

-3.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$6.39 MUR 301

-15.49%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$124 MUR 5,826

123.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$7,598 MUR 357.7K

3.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$78.6 MUR 3,702

-37.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$75.1 MUR 3,533

-67.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$120 MUR 5,633

-35.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$78.1 MUR 3,678

-24.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.67

7.95%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Surinam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Surinam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Surinam

$217 34.8% 3.8% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Surinam

$84 13.5% 47.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Surinam

$158 25.3% 67.8% $64

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Surinam

$133 21.2% 51.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Surinam

$13 * 2% 70.3% $30

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Surinam

$20 * 3.2% 33.1% $5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $38.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $218 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇲🇺 Surinam

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

09:12 9:12 AM

4 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

10,500

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Surinam 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Surinam

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 Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surinam is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and utilities. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $938 in Surinam 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.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $626 in Surinam – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Surinam gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Surinam 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 Surinam 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 Surinam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.