Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $516 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$516

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Machakos versus $915 in Cebu.

Machakos $516
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $797 in Machakos versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Machakos $797
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,078 in Machakos versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Machakos $1,078
Cebu $1,921

Living in Machakos costs roughly 44% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 62% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 KES 408

$3.05 ₱192

3.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 KES 2,461

$24.00 ₱1,511

-20.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 KES 803

$3.99 ₱251

55.14%

Cappuccino

$1.98 KES 257

$2.50 ₱157

-20.80%

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

$0.64 KES 83.0

$1.54 ₱97.1

-58.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$0.50 ₱31.37

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 KES 273

$1.78 ₱112

18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$2.17 ₱136

24.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.37 KES 48.53

$2.00 ₱126

-81.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.9

$1.37 ₱86.2

-67.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.4

$1.03 ₱64.9

-28.16%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$2.03 ₱128

-33.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 KES 1,391

$10.20 ₱642

5.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 KES 815

$4.45 ₱280

41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 KES 589

$7.67 ₱483

-40.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$3.31 ₱208

-52.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$1.46 ₱91.8

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 KES 52.4

$2.32 ₱146

-82.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 KES 53.1

$1.49 ₱94.0

-72.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.34 ₱147

-65.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.94 ₱122

-58.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 KES 88.4

$1.16 ₱73.0

-41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 49.11

$0.68 ₱42.89

-44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$2.99 ₱188

17.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 KES 1,483

$6.24 ₱393

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 KES 247

$1.23 ₱77.3

54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 363

$1.73 ₱109

61.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.79 ₱49.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 KES 101

$0.22 ₱13.86

254.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 KES 368

$4.54 ₱286

-37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 KES 193

$1.32 ₱82.9

12.88%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

-8.76%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

10.60%

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

$56.1 KES 7,279

$119 ₱7,464

-52.64%

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

$7.82 KES 1,014

$14.22 ₱896

-45.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.48 KES 1,488

$27.47 ₱1,730

-58.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 KES 4,950

$32.31 ₱2,034

18.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 KES 987

$5.40 ₱340

41.11%

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

$45.44 KES 5,892

$276 ₱17.4K

-83.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$7,866 ₱495.3K

56.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.34 KES 1,470

$49.37 ₱3,108

-77.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 KES 3,719

$24.58 ₱1,548

16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 KES 8,991

$76.6 ₱4,825

-9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.50 KES 4,992

$58.9 ₱3,706

-34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 KES 12.2K

$503 ₱31.7K

-81.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 KES 8,905

$305 ₱19.2K

-77.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 20.0K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

-85.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 15.0K

$632 ₱39.8K

-81.74%

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)

$383 KES 49.6K

$336 ₱21.1K

13.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

7.2

104.31%

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

Last update for Machakos: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$159 30.8%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 31.8% $51

Eating Out

Machakos

$88 17.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 0.6% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$75 14.6%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 112% $85

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$69 13.3%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 343% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$67 12.9%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 41.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$53 10.4%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 19.3% $10

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.7 * 0.9%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 222% $10

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 $93.9 in Machakos and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machakos pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Machakos vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $210 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

16:03 4:03 PM

5 h ahead of Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

964,169

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

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).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Machakos Cebu 9,670 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Machakos
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

Machakos vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Machakos, 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: $93.9 in Machakos versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $516 per month in Machakos versus $915 in Cebu – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Machakos gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Machakos 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, Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.