Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maasin City and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Maasin City: $755 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Maasin City
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Maasin City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Maasin City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maasin City 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 Maasin City and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Maasin City versus $918 in Cebu.

Maasin City $755
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Maasin City versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Maasin City $1,132
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,508 in Maasin City versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Maasin City $1,508
Cebu $1,900

Living in Maasin City costs roughly 18% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maasin City 44% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 ₱196

$3.09 ₱194

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,476

$24.22 ₱1,525

-3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.86 ₱243

$3.92 ₱247

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$2.57 ₱162

$2.51 ₱158

2.39%

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

$1.58 ₱99.6

$1.59 ₱100

-0.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.61

$0.53 ₱33.43

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.78 ₱112

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₱139

$2.17 ₱137

1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.92 ₱121

2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ₱74.3

$1.36 ₱85.4

-13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.3

$1.01 ₱63.5

-9.90%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$2.03 ₱128

-8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 ₱625

$9.86 ₱621

0.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 ₱277

$4.39 ₱277

0.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 ₱463

$7.60 ₱479

-3.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ₱102

$3.30 ₱208

-50.91%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₱41.93

$1.39 ₱87.8

-51.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.2

$2.33 ₱147

-32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.2

$1.50 ₱94.3

2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱148

$2.36 ₱149

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$1.90 ₱119

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.9

$1.19 ₱74.9

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.21

$0.63 ₱39.71

6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₱190

$3.00 ₱189

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 ₱398

$6.03 ₱379

4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.5

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.75 ₱110

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.18

$0.25 ₱15.86

-4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 ₱760

$12.64 ₱796

-4.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.38

$0.77 ₱48.62

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.49

$0.23 ₱14.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱121

$4.46 ₱281

-56.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₱86.0

$1.31 ₱82.8

4.58%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-1.39%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

1.00%

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

$122 ₱7,695

$120 ₱7,569

1.66%

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

$14.04 ₱884

$14.00 ₱882

0.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.70 ₱1,744

$27.54 ₱1,734

0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₱1,913

$32.33 ₱2,035

-6.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.24 ₱267

$6.65 ₱419

-36.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 ₱348

$5.65 ₱356

-2.12%

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

$135 ₱8,488

$275 ₱17.3K

-51.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,885 ₱496.4K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-0.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.99 ₱2,077

$49.33 ₱3,106

-33.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.59 ₱1,233

$25.24 ₱1,589

-22.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ₱4,786

$77.0 ₱4,846

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.9 ₱3,581

$57.2 ₱3,601

-0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$500 ₱31.5K

-46.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$309 ₱19.4K

-43.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 ₱29.8K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-56.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₱19.0K

$615 ₱38.7K

-51.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,140 ₱134.7K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-25.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ₱61.5K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-49.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 ₱7,886

$346 ₱21.8K

-63.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Maasin City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maasin City

$188 25%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 9.3% $17

Accommodation & Living

Maasin City

$174 23.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 77.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maasin City

$164 21.7%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 1.3% $2.2

Eating Out

Maasin City

$89 11.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 0.3% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Maasin City

$83 11.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 12.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Maasin City

$41 5.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 5.3% $2.2

Getting Around

Maasin City

$15 2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 4.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Maasin City and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 176% 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: $23.00 in Maasin City vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $206 per month, with Maasin City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Maasin City

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

Same time as Maasin City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,560

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Maasin City Cebu 100 km

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Maasin City
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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

Maasin City vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 176% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $269 in Maasin City versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $755 per month in Maasin City versus $918 in Cebu – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Maasin City runs roughly 5% less than in Cebu. 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 Maasin City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Maasin City 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, Maasin City 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 Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.