Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroochydore and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,355 in Maroochydore, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,355

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in Maroochydore versus $918 in Cebu.

Maroochydore $2,355
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Maroochydore versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Maroochydore $3,592
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,828 in Maroochydore versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Maroochydore $4,828
Cebu $1,900

Living in Maroochydore is roughly 157% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maroochydore is 74% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 A$20.13

$3.09 ₱194

354.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 A$137

$24.22 ₱1,519

295.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 A$12.95

$3.92 ₱246

130.61%

Cappuccino

$3.77 A$5.40

$2.51 ₱157

50.20%

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

$2.58 A$3.70

$1.59 ₱99.8

62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.07

$0.53 ₱33.31

303.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 A$5.88

$1.78 ₱112

130.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 A$10.67

$2.17 ₱136

243.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.92 ₱120

-19.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 A$3.73

$1.36 ₱85.1

91.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.41

$1.01 ₱63.3

135.64%

Eggs

$4.76 A$6.81

$2.03 ₱127

134.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 A$12.47

$9.86 ₱619

-11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 A$13.18

$4.39 ₱276

109.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 A$21.31

$7.60 ₱477

95.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.58

$3.30 ₱207

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.46

$1.39 ₱87.4

124.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.33 ₱146

10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.34

$1.50 ₱93.9

148.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.73

$2.36 ₱148

10.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.02

$1.90 ₱119

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 A$3.63

$1.19 ₱74.6

112.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 A$2.12

$0.63 ₱39.56

134.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.93 A$34.28

$3.00 ₱188

697.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 A$15.10

$6.03 ₱378

74.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.98 A$8.56

$1.23 ₱77.4

386.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 A$8.28

$1.75 ₱110

230.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 A$0.95

$0.25 ₱15.80

168.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 A$103

$12.64 ₱792

471.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 A$2.88

$0.77 ₱48.43

161.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.11

$0.23 ₱14.47

539.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.38 A$52.1

$4.46 ₱279

715.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.31 ₱82.5

4.58%

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

$26.8K A$38.3K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

25.93%

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

$23.3K A$33.3K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

21.43%

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

$217 A$310

$120 ₱7,540

80.19%

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

$30.09 A$43.10

$14.00 ₱878

114.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 A$77.8

$27.54 ₱1,727

97.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 A$81.7

$32.33 ₱2,028

76.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.30

$6.65 ₱417

165.56%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.88

$5.65 ₱354

133.27%

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

$2,157 A$3,091

$275 ₱17.3K

683.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.9K

$7,918 ₱496.6K

48.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 A$110

$49.33 ₱3,094

55.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 A$76.9

$25.24 ₱1,583

112.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$150

$77.0 ₱4,827

36.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$173

$57.2 ₱3,587

111.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 A$1,668

$500 ₱31.3K

133.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 A$1,620

$309 ₱19.4K

266.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 A$2,942

$1,078 ₱67.6K

90.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 A$2,899

$615 ₱38.6K

228.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 A$8,653

$2,886 ₱181.0K

109.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,962 A$8,541

$1,917 ₱120.2K

211.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,836 A$4,062

$346 ₱21.7K

719.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

7.2

-20.97%

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

Last update for Maroochydore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroochydore

$1.1K 48%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 72.7% $822

Groceries & Markets

Maroochydore

$356 15.1%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 42.2% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroochydore

$301 12.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 46.3% $139

Eating Out

Maroochydore

$239 10.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 63.1% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Maroochydore

$160 6.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 41.4% $66

Getting Around

Maroochydore

$84 3.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 81.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Maroochydore

$83 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 47.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,164 in Maroochydore and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maroochydore pays 720% 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 Maroochydore vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

06:01 6:01 AM

2 h behind Maroochydore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

964,169

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.19 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maroochydore Cebu 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Maroochydore
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

Maroochydore vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 720% higher in Maroochydore, 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: $1,164 in Maroochydore versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in Maroochydore versus $918 in Cebu – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 471% less than in Maroochydore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,355 in Maroochydore, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Maroochydore. 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 Maroochydore, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Maroochydore 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 157% less than in Maroochydore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.