For one person, living is cheaper in Mahdia: $557 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mahdia and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $557 in Mahdia versus $918 in Cebu.
Mahdia $557
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $881 in Mahdia versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Mahdia $881
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,206 in Mahdia versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Mahdia $1,206
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Mahdia costs roughly 39% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Mahdia59% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.48TND 7.44
$3.09₱194
-19.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.01TND 59.9
$24.22₱1,525
-17.38%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.84TND 14.49
$3.92₱247
23.47%
Cappuccino
$0.96TND 2.89
$2.51₱158
-61.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57TND 1.72
$1.59₱100
-64.15%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19TND 0.56
$0.53₱33.43
-64.15%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.03TND 3.07
$1.78₱112
-42.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51TND 4.52
$2.17₱137
-30.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.43TND 1.30
$1.92₱121
-77.60%
White Bread(500g)
$0.26TND 0.78
$1.36₱85.4
-80.88%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.38TND 4.13
$1.01₱63.5
36.63%
Eggs
$1.53TND 4.58
$2.03₱128
-24.63%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.75TND 35.19
$9.86₱621
19.17%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.96TND 14.87
$4.39₱277
12.98%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.46TND 43.29
$7.60₱479
90.26%
Apples(1kg)
$2.86TND 8.56
$3.30₱208
-13.33%
Banana(1kg)
$2.86TND 8.55
$1.39₱87.8
105.76%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.44TND 4.32
$2.33₱147
-38.20%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.72TND 2.15
$1.50₱94.3
-52.00%
Potato(1kg)
$0.65TND 1.94
$2.36₱149
-72.46%
Onion(1kg)
$0.34TND 1.03
$1.90₱119
-82.11%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.43TND 1.29
$1.19₱74.9
-63.87%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31TND 0.94
$0.63₱39.71
-50.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.53TND 10.56
$3.00₱189
17.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$3.35TND 10.04
$6.03₱379
-44.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63TND 4.88
$1.23₱77.7
32.52%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25TND 3.75
$1.75₱110
-28.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.32TND 0.95
$0.25₱15.86
28.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$13.33TND 39.92
$12.64₱796
5.46%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.31TND 0.93
$0.77₱48.62
-59.74%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.26TND 0.77
$0.23₱14.53
13.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$4.46₱281
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.88TND 2.64
$1.31₱82.8
-32.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.9KTND 122.5K
$21.2K₱1.3M
92.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1KTND 120.0K
$19.1K₱1.2M
109.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$56.3TND 169
$120₱7,569
-53.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.15TND 21.41
$14.00₱882
-48.93%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.10TND 60.2
$27.54₱1,734
-27.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$20.52TND 61.5
$32.33₱2,035
-36.53%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.69TND 23.03
$6.65₱419
15.64%
Cinema Ticket
$6.80TND 20.36
$5.65₱356
20.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$109TND 326
$275₱17.3K
-60.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$985TND 2,951
$7,918₱498.5K
-87.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.98TND 114
$49.33₱3,106
-23.01%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.80TND 98.2
$25.24₱1,589
29.95%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.9TND 230
$77.0₱4,846
-0.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.51TND 70.4
$57.2₱3,601
-58.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$130TND 390
$500₱31.5K
-73.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$100TND 301
$309₱19.4K
-67.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$292TND 875
$1,078₱67.9K
-72.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$175TND 523
$615₱38.7K
-71.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$675TND 2,022
$2,886₱181.7K
-76.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$201TND 602
$1,917₱120.7K
-89.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mahdia
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$232TND 695
$346₱21.8K
-32.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.33
7.2
43.47%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mahdia: October 10, 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mahdia
$188 33.8%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↑ 9.3%$18
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mahdia
$100 18%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 208%$208
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahdia
$84 15%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 93.6%$78
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mahdia
$77 13.8%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↑ 22%$17
🍽Eating Out
Mahdia
$57 10.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↑ 54.4%$31
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mahdia
$34 6.1%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 27.8%$9.5
🚌Getting Around
Mahdia
$16 2.9%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 3.9%$0.6
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mahdia
$450 37.3%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↑ 7.4%$33
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mahdia
$175 14.5%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 252%$441
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mahdia
$91 7.5%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 93.7%$85
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mahdia
$171 14.2%
Cebu
$209 11% ↑ 22%$38
🍽Eating Out
Mahdia
$211 17.5%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↑ 38.5%$81
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mahdia
$76 6.3%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 23.6%$18
🚌Getting Around
Mahdia
$33 2.7%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 4.2%$1.4
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $130 in Mahdia and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 49% 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 Mahdia vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $206 per month, with Mahdia 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
Mahdia vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Mahdia?
Mahdia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mahdia or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 49% 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 Mahdia and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $130 in Mahdia 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 Mahdia and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $557 per month in Mahdia versus $918 in Cebu – a 65% 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 Mahdia runs roughly 5% 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 Mahdia or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Mahdia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Mahdia or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Mahdia 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, Mahdia or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Mahdia 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 Mahdia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.