Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,311 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
Learn more

Madrid Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,311

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,311 in Madrid versus $934 in Cebu.

Madrid $2,311
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,324 in Madrid versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Madrid $3,324
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,337 in Madrid versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Madrid $4,337
Cebu $1,896

Living in Madrid is roughly 147% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madrid is 72% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €16.14

$3.03 ₱191

497.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 €60.4

$23.48 ₱1,476

188.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 €9.95

$4.09 ₱257

172.86%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$2.52 ₱158

23.02%

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

$3.25 €2.90

$1.54 ₱97.2

111.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$0.49 ₱31.06

359.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.45

$1.79 ₱113

116.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.44

$2.26 ₱142

120.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.95 ₱122

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.43 ₱89.9

11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.02 ₱64.0

64.71%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.78

$2.06 ₱129

105.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.22

$9.81 ₱617

74.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 €8.10

$4.61 ₱290

96.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.70

$7.70 ₱484

128.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$3.31 ₱208

-23.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.45 ₱91.2

50.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.36 ₱148

9.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$1.54 ₱96.6

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.36 ₱148

-6.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.99 ₱125

9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.15 ₱72.3

36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.67 ₱42.26

56.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.93

$3.00 ₱189

121.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.94

$6.35 ₱399

22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.31 ₱82.1

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.73 ₱109

30.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.25 ₱15.82

584.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.14 €33.11

$12.65 ₱796

193.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 €3.33

$0.74 ₱46.44

405.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.21 ₱13.15

609.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 €26.89

$4.33 ₱272

596.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.33 ₱83.7

38.35%

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

$34.8K €31.1K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

60.05%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

71.95%

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

$185 €165

$121 ₱7,583

53.75%

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

$18.51 €16.50

$14.45 ₱909

28.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 €31.01

$28.29 ₱1,779

22.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 €44.57

$32.68 ₱2,055

52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 €16.14

$6.39 ₱402

183.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 €10.03

$5.46 ₱343

105.86%

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

$666 €594

$273 ₱17.2K

143.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

121.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.3

$49.57 ₱3,117

72.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 €38.88

$24.87 ₱1,564

75.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.8

$76.6 ₱4,817

41.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.6

$59.3 ₱3,727

88.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,359

$506 ₱31.8K

201.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,063

$309 ₱19.5K

285.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 €2,414

$1,052 ₱66.1K

157.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 €1,604

$619 ₱38.9K

190.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,164 €8,171

$2,915 ₱183.4K

214.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,169 €3,717

$1,867 ₱117.4K

123.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 €2,209

$341 ₱21.5K

626.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

7.2

-57.22%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.1%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 74.1% $883

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.4%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 31.7% $97

Eating Out

Madrid

$267 11.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 66.9% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$239 10.4%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 31.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.9%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 39.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 39.8% $29

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 72% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Madrid and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 626% 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: $68.0 in Madrid vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

6 h ahead of Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madrid Cebu 12,230 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
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

Madrid vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 626% higher in Madrid, 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: $1,524 in Madrid versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,311 per month in Madrid versus $934 in Cebu – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 194% less than in Madrid. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,311 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Madrid, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Madrid 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 147% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.