Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,676 in Mandal, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Mandal
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Mandal Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Mandal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,676

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,676 in Mandal versus $918 in Cebu.

Mandal $2,676
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,083 in Mandal versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Mandal $4,083
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,489 in Mandal versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Mandal $5,489
Cebu $1,900

Living in Mandal is roughly 192% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mandal is 98% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.13 NOK 237

$3.09 ₱194

713.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.9 NOK 902

$24.22 ₱1,525

295.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.40 NOK 145

$3.92 ₱247

292.86%

Cappuccino

$6.19 NOK 58.3

$2.51 ₱158

146.61%

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

$5.22 NOK 49.16

$1.59 ₱100

228.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.79

$0.53 ₱33.43

716.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.54 NOK 127

$1.78 ₱112

660.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.24 NOK 115

$2.17 ₱137

464.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 NOK 20.96

$1.92 ₱121

16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 NOK 32.48

$1.36 ₱85.4

153.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.26

$1.01 ₱63.5

281.19%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.98

$2.03 ₱128

51.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 NOK 126

$9.86 ₱621

35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.74 NOK 158

$4.39 ₱277

281.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.07 NOK 330

$7.60 ₱479

361.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.34

$3.30 ₱208

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.94

$1.39 ₱87.8

98.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.64

$2.33 ₱147

48.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 NOK 46.52

$1.50 ₱94.3

229.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.06

$2.36 ₱149

8.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.07

$1.90 ₱119

56.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 NOK 14.93

$1.19 ₱74.9

33.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 NOK 21.53

$0.63 ₱39.71

263.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.56 NOK 165

$3.00 ₱189

485.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 NOK 174

$6.03 ₱379

205.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NOK 30.14

$1.23 ₱77.7

160.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NOK 27.52

$1.75 ₱110

66.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 NOK 49.04

$0.25 ₱15.86

1984.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 878

$12.64 ₱796

638.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 NOK 52.8

$0.77 ₱48.62

628.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NOK 11.10

$0.23 ₱14.53

413.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 NOK 977

$4.46 ₱281

2228.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.40

$1.31 ₱82.8

65.65%

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

$48.1K NOK 452.9K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

126.46%

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

$41.5K NOK 390.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

116.90%

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

$241 NOK 2,269

$120 ₱7,569

100.46%

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

$34.97 NOK 329

$14.00 ₱882

149.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.0 NOK 781

$27.54 ₱1,734

201.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.37 NOK 465

$32.33 ₱2,035

52.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.13 NOK 321

$6.65 ₱419

413.23%

Cinema Ticket

$21.90 NOK 206

$5.65 ₱356

287.61%

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

$319 NOK 2,998

$275 ₱17.3K

15.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NOK 131.9K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

76.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,189

$49.33 ₱3,106

156.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 571

$25.24 ₱1,589

140.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 NOK 1,409

$77.0 ₱4,846

94.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,910

$57.2 ₱3,601

254.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 NOK 11.3K

$500 ₱31.5K

139.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 NOK 8,584

$309 ₱19.4K

195.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 NOK 19.2K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

89.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 NOK 14.7K

$615 ₱38.7K

154.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,532 NOK 52.1K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

91.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,103 NOK 38.6K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

114.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,367 NOK 41.1K

$346 ₱21.8K

1162.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

7.2

-26.81%

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

Last update for Mandal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandal

$912 34.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 66.1% $603

Groceries & Markets

Mandal

$492 18.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 58.1% $286

Eating Out

Mandal

$452 16.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 80.5% $364

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandal

$359 13.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 54.9% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Mandal

$243 9.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 61.3% $149

Getting Around

Mandal

$126 4.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 87.6% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Mandal

$93 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 53.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,198 in Mandal and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 1162% 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: $96.0 in Mandal vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Mandal

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

15:57 3:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

6 h ahead of Mandal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,477

964,169

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mandal Cebu 10,520 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandal
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

Mandal vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 192% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1162% higher in Mandal, 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: $1,198 in Mandal versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,676 per month in Mandal versus $918 in Cebu – a 192% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 638% less than in Mandal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,676 in Mandal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mandal. 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 Mandal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mandal 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 192% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.