Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $474 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$474

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $474 in Malang versus $918 in Cebu.

Malang $474
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $729 in Malang versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Malang $729
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $984 in Malang versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Malang $984
Cebu $1,900

Living in Malang costs roughly 48% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malang 65% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 19.9K

$3.09 ₱194

-64.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.07 Rp 199.2K

$24.22 ₱1,524

-54.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$3.92 ₱246

-29.59%

Cappuccino

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$2.51 ₱158

-46.61%

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

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

$1.59 ₱100

-62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,146

$0.53 ₱33.42

-56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.78 ₱112

28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 Rp 76.6K

$2.17 ₱137

95.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.92 ₱121

-48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 Rp 20.2K

$1.36 ₱85.4

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-16.83%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

$2.03 ₱128

-38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 Rp 106.0K

$9.86 ₱621

-40.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

$4.39 ₱276

-29.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 Rp 129.7K

$7.60 ₱478

-5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$3.30 ₱208

-38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.39 ₱87.7

-8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$2.33 ₱147

-32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

$1.50 ₱94.2

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$2.36 ₱149

-44.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$1.90 ₱119

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 Rp 8,439

$1.19 ₱74.9

-60.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,580

$0.63 ₱39.69

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$3.00 ₱189

-11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 Rp 224.5K

$6.03 ₱379

106.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Rp 30.1K

$1.23 ₱77.6

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

$1.75 ₱110

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 Rp 10.7K

$0.25 ₱15.85

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.61 Rp 100.9K

$12.64 ₱795

-55.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,631

$0.77 ₱48.59

-37.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$0.23 ₱14.52

73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.1K

$4.46 ₱280

22.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-43.51%

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

$24.9K Rp 448.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

17.41%

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

$27.7K Rp 498.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

44.73%

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

$30.83 Rp 555.0K

$120 ₱7,566

-74.36%

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

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

$14.00 ₱881

-82.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 Rp 351.1K

$27.54 ₱1,733

-29.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

$32.33 ₱2,034

-54.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 Rp 80.5K

$6.65 ₱418

-32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$5.65 ₱355

-66.02%

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

$30.88 Rp 555.9K

$275 ₱17.3K

-88.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,452 Rp 170.1M

$7,918 ₱498.3K

19.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

$49.33 ₱3,105

14.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 Rp 403.4K

$25.24 ₱1,589

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 Rp 934.9K

$77.0 ₱4,844

-32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.74 Rp 643.3K

$57.2 ₱3,600

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$500 ₱31.4K

-72.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 Rp 1.6M

$309 ₱19.4K

-70.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 Rp 3.5M

$1,078 ₱67.8K

-82.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$615 ₱38.7K

-74.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 Rp 3.7M

$346 ₱21.8K

-41.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-44.44%

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

Last update for Malang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malang

$169 35.7%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 21.6% $37

Accommodation & Living

Malang

$92 19.3%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 237% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Malang

$75 15.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 25.4% $19

Eating Out

Malang

$56 11.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 56.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malang

$53 11.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 207% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Malang

$19 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 136% $25

Getting Around

Malang

$10 2.2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 48.6% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Malang and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 70% 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: $11.00 in Malang vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $206 per month, with Malang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Malang

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

1 h ahead of Malang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

857,891

964,169

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,268 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 62.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.86 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malang Cebu 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Malang
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

Malang vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% 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: $136 in Malang versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $474 per month in Malang versus $918 in Cebu – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malang runs roughly 125% 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 Malang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Malang 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, Malang 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 Malang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.