Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,058 in Cuiaba, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Cuiaba despite lower rent and utilities.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cuiaba
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Cuiaba Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuiaba and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuiaba and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,058 in Cuiaba versus $918 in Cebu.

Cuiaba $1,058
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Cuiaba versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Cuiaba $1,607
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,157 in Cuiaba versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Cuiaba $2,157
Cebu $1,900

Living in Cuiaba is roughly 15% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuiaba 22% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 R$27.83

$3.09 ₱194

77.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.50 R$155

$24.22 ₱1,525

25.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 R$39.95

$3.92 ₱247

101.02%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$9.01

$2.51 ₱158

-29.08%

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

$1.51 R$7.66

$1.59 ₱100

-5.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.86

$0.53 ₱33.43

43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.29

$1.78 ₱112

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.89

$2.17 ₱137

26.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.02

$1.92 ₱121

-38.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.14

$1.36 ₱85.4

18.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 R$9.38

$1.01 ₱63.5

83.17%

Eggs

$3.09 R$15.64

$2.03 ₱128

52.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.53 R$88.9

$9.86 ₱621

77.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 R$23.37

$4.39 ₱277

5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 R$57.1

$7.60 ₱479

48.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 R$11.94

$3.30 ₱208

-28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 R$12.11

$1.39 ₱87.8

71.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 R$12.80

$2.33 ₱147

8.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 R$15.03

$1.50 ₱94.3

97.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 R$13.12

$2.36 ₱149

9.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 R$10.87

$1.90 ₱119

12.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 R$8.45

$1.19 ₱74.9

40.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 R$7.52

$0.63 ₱39.71

134.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.79

$3.00 ₱189

-22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 R$59.1

$6.03 ₱379

93.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$10.46

$1.23 ₱77.7

67.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 R$15.68

$1.75 ₱110

76.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.94

$0.25 ₱15.86

288.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.13 R$198

$12.64 ₱796

209.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.59

$1.31 ₱82.8

-0.76%

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

$30.6K R$154.9K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

43.83%

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

$34.9K R$177.0K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

82.40%

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

$174 R$884

$120 ₱7,569

45.01%

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

$19.69 R$99.8

$14.00 ₱882

40.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.53 R$134

$27.54 ₱1,734

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.28 R$133

$32.33 ₱2,035

-18.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 R$101

$6.65 ₱419

199.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 R$30.38

$5.65 ₱356

6.02%

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

$448 R$2,273

$275 ₱17.3K

62.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,490 R$48.1K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

19.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 R$386

$49.33 ₱3,106

54.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 R$252

$25.24 ₱1,589

96.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 R$765

$77.0 ₱4,846

96.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 R$351

$57.2 ₱3,601

21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,388

$500 ₱31.5K

-45.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 R$1,025

$309 ₱19.4K

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$566 R$2,869

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 R$1,835

$615 ₱38.7K

-41.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,350 R$6,841

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-53.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$801 R$4,061

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-58.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$403 R$2,045

$346 ₱21.8K

16.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.1

7.2

123.61%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cuiaba

$285 26.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 27.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuiaba

$221 20.9%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 26.7% $59

Accommodation & Living

Cuiaba

$202 19.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 52.7% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Cuiaba

$156 14.7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 39.7% $62

Eating Out

Cuiaba

$114 10.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 22.3% $25

Getting Around

Cuiaba

$43 * 4.1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 63.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cuiaba

$38 3.6%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 14% $5.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Cuiaba and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuiaba pays 17% 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: $31.00 in Cuiaba vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

12 h ahead of Cuiaba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

650,877

964,169

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuiaba Cebu 19,430 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuiaba
Cebu

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

Cuiaba vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Cuiaba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $274 in Cuiaba versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,058 per month in Cuiaba versus $918 in Cebu – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 210% less than in Cuiaba. 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 Cuiaba, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuiaba and Cebu 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 15% less than in Cuiaba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.