Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaybalay and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $739 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
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Malaybalay Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Malaybalay versus $943 in Cebu.

Malaybalay $739
Cebu $943

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,140 in Malaybalay versus $1,437 in Cebu.

Malaybalay $1,140
Cebu $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,542 in Malaybalay versus $1,930 in Cebu.

Malaybalay $1,542
Cebu $1,930

Living in Malaybalay costs roughly 22% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malaybalay 45% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ₱289

$3.88 ₱247

17.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.36 ₱1,040

$23.22 ₱1,476

-29.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.49 ₱222

$3.90 ₱248

-10.51%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ₱136

$2.56 ₱163

-16.41%

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

$0.45 ₱28.56

$1.60 ₱102

-71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.47

$0.51 ₱32.35

-37.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 ₱75.3

$1.76 ₱112

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱131

$2.15 ₱137

-4.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 ₱125

$1.99 ₱126

-1.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱70.1

$1.37 ₱87.1

-19.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱53.5

$0.95 ₱60.4

-11.58%

Eggs

$1.90 ₱121

$2.02 ₱128

-5.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 ₱401

$9.63 ₱612

-34.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 ₱289

$4.35 ₱277

4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ₱573

$7.70 ₱490

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₱171

$3.30 ₱210

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱70.6

$1.27 ₱80.5

-12.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱152

$2.34 ₱149

2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.51 ₱96.3

-24.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

$2.23 ₱142

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 ₱209

$1.93 ₱123

70.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.8

$1.18 ₱75.2

5.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.60

$0.65 ₱41.33

3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 ₱153

$2.89 ₱184

-16.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱501

$6.35 ₱404

24.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₱77.5

$1.27 ₱80.8

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₱106

$1.64 ₱104

1.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.27

$0.23 ₱14.56

4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 ₱783

$12.24 ₱778

0.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱50.4

$0.82 ₱52.0

-3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.32

$0.20 ₱12.69

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱121

$4.32 ₱275

-55.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱80.3

$1.38 ₱87.6

-8.70%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

0.16%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

-2.93%

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

$104 ₱6,590

$124 ₱7,893

-16.51%

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

$19.05 ₱1,211

$15.93 ₱1,013

19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.84 ₱1,961

$28.07 ₱1,785

9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.24 ₱1,987

$33.41 ₱2,124

-6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 ₱325

$6.40 ₱407

-20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 ₱305

$5.85 ₱372

-17.95%

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

$105 ₱6,703

$271 ₱17.2K

-61.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,393 ₱470.1K

$8,060 ₱512.4K

-8.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.03 ₱2,036

$48.31 ₱3,072

-33.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.04 ₱1,211

$24.56 ₱1,562

-22.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,513

$77.1 ₱4,904

-7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 ₱3,792

$56.5 ₱3,593

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ₱15.9K

$495 ₱31.5K

-49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₱10.5K

$322 ₱20.5K

-48.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ₱30.8K

$990 ₱63.0K

-51.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₱22.5K

$628 ₱39.9K

-43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 ₱169.1K

$4,459 ₱283.5K

-40.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,116 ₱71.0K

$3,030 ₱192.6K

-63.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

7.2

15.42%

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

Last update for Malaybalay: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malaybalay

$196 26.5%

Cebu

$206 21.8% 4.8% $9.4

Accommodation & Living

Malaybalay

$166 22.4%

Cebu

$322 34.1% 93.9% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaybalay

$154 20.8%

Cebu

$168 17.8% 9.5% $15

Eating Out

Malaybalay

$86 11.6%

Cebu

$95 10.1% 10.9% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Malaybalay

$82 11.1%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 13.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Malaybalay

$41 5.5%

Cebu

$45 4.8% 10.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Malaybalay

$15 2.1%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 2% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in Malaybalay and $495 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Malaybalay vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $206 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Malaybalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,712

964,169

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Malaybalay Cebu 270 km

From you

Malaybalay
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

Malaybalay vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaybalay is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,109 in Malaybalay and $1,415 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $250 in Malaybalay versus $495 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $739 per month in Malaybalay versus $943 in Cebu – Malaybalay is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Malaybalay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.