Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between La Marsa and Cebu
For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $772 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in La Marsa and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in La Marsa versus $918 in Cebu.
La Marsa $772
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,291 in La Marsa versus $1,409 in Cebu.
La Marsa $1,291
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,809 in La Marsa versus $1,900 in Cebu.
La Marsa $1,809
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in La Marsa costs roughly 16% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: La Marsa43% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.41TND 10.21
$3.09₱194
10.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.34TND 60.9
$24.22₱1,525
-16.02%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.24TND 15.69
$3.92₱247
33.67%
Cappuccino
$1.30TND 3.88
$2.51₱158
-48.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60TND 1.79
$1.59₱100
-62.26%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26TND 0.77
$0.53₱33.43
-50.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.48TND 4.44
$1.78₱112
-16.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98TND 5.92
$2.17₱137
-8.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.53TND 1.60
$1.92₱121
-72.40%
White Bread(500g)
$0.31TND 0.94
$1.36₱85.4
-77.21%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.32TND 6.96
$1.01₱63.5
129.70%
Eggs
$1.85TND 5.53
$2.03₱128
-8.87%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.51TND 28.49
$9.86₱621
-3.55%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.65TND 19.93
$4.39₱277
51.48%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.01TND 38.98
$7.60₱479
71.18%
Apples(1kg)
$2.03TND 6.08
$3.30₱208
-38.48%
Banana(1kg)
$3.58TND 10.71
$1.39₱87.8
157.55%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.47TND 4.42
$2.33₱147
-36.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.67TND 2.00
$1.50₱94.3
-55.33%
Potato(1kg)
$0.60TND 1.79
$2.36₱149
-74.58%
Onion(1kg)
$0.65TND 1.96
$1.90₱119
-65.79%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.40TND 1.21
$1.19₱74.9
-66.39%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30TND 0.91
$0.63₱39.71
-52.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.64TND 10.91
$3.00₱189
21.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.50TND 19.47
$6.03₱379
7.79%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27TND 3.79
$1.23₱77.7
3.25%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61TND 4.84
$1.75₱110
-8.00%
🚌 Getting Around
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.34TND 1.03
$0.25₱15.86
36.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$6.99TND 20.93
$12.64₱796
-44.70%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.29TND 0.86
$0.77₱48.62
-62.34%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.42TND 1.27
$0.23₱14.53
82.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.10TND 12.28
$4.46₱281
-8.07%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.87TND 2.60
$1.31₱82.8
-33.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9KTND 110.5K
$21.2K₱1.3M
73.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1KTND 93.1K
$19.1K₱1.2M
62.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$33.98TND 102
$120₱7,569
-71.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.23TND 36.62
$14.00₱882
-12.64%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.32TND 54.9
$27.54₱1,734
-33.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.68TND 125
$32.33₱2,035
28.92%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.45TND 22.30
$6.65₱419
12.03%
Cinema Ticket
$5.27TND 15.80
$5.65₱356
-6.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$59.5TND 178
$275₱17.3K
-78.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,560TND 7,666
$7,918₱498.5K
-67.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.5TND 190
$49.33₱3,106
28.77%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.4TND 208
$25.24₱1,589
174.96%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$90.9TND 272
$77.0₱4,846
18.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.9TND 269
$57.2₱3,601
57.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$288TND 863
$500₱31.5K
-42.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$233TND 697
$309₱19.4K
-24.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$707TND 2,116
$1,078₱67.9K
-34.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$572TND 1,712
$615₱38.7K
-7.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,831TND 5,485
$2,886₱181.7K
-36.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,018TND 3,049
$1,917₱120.7K
-46.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Marsa
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$334TND 1,000
$346₱21.8K
-3.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
14
7.2
94.44%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for La Marsa: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
La Marsa
$233 30.1%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 32.8%$76
🛒Groceries & Markets
La Marsa
$198 25.6%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↑ 4.1%$8.1
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
La Marsa
$141 18.3%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 33.5%$47
🍽Eating Out
La Marsa
$73 9.5%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↑ 20.4%$15
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Marsa
$65 8.4%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 151%$97
🎉Sport & Entertainment
La Marsa
$52 6.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 16.5%$8.6
🚌Getting Around
La Marsa
$11 1.4%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↑ 44.6%$4.8
🏠Accommodation & Living
La Marsa
$572 31.6%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 7.6%$44
🛒Groceries & Markets
La Marsa
$467 25.8%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↑ 3.3%$15
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
La Marsa
$314 17.3%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 33.5%$105
🍽Eating Out
La Marsa
$245 13.6%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↑ 19.1%$47
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Marsa
$77 4.2%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 129%$99
🎉Sport & Entertainment
La Marsa
$112 6.2%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 16.1%$18
🚌Getting Around
La Marsa
$22 1.2%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↑ 42.4%$9.4
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in La Marsa and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 4% 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: $20.00 in La Marsa vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $206 per month, with La Marsa cheaper across the board.
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
La Marsa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than La Marsa?
La Marsa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: La Marsa or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between La Marsa and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $288 in La Marsa versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in La Marsa and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $772 per month in La Marsa versus $918 in Cebu – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in La Marsa runs roughly 81% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either La Marsa or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though La Marsa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is La Marsa or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, La Marsa 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.
Which city is safer, La Marsa or Cebu?
Safety-wise, La Marsa 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find La Marsa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.