For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,204 in Massy, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Massy and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,204 in Massy versus $915 in Cebu.
Massy $2,204
Cebu $915
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,437 in Massy versus $1,418 in Cebu.
Massy $3,437
Cebu $1,418
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,670 in Massy versus $1,921 in Cebu.
Massy $4,670
Cebu $1,921
🌍
Living in Massy is roughly 141% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Massy is 63% above, Cebu is 33% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.74€15.78
$3.05₱192
481.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0€65.8
$24.00₱1,511
208.13%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.29€11.82
$3.99₱251
233.08%
Cappuccino
$4.41€3.93
$2.50₱157
76.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16€2.81
$1.54₱97.1
105.19%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.03
$0.50₱31.37
358.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.96€7.08
$1.78₱112
347.19%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65€5.02
$2.17₱136
160.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.55€1.38
$2.00₱126
-22.50%
White Bread(500g)
$2.22€1.97
$1.37₱86.2
62.04%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.68€2.39
$1.03₱64.9
160.19%
Eggs
$4.20€3.74
$2.03₱128
106.90%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$21.90€19.48
$10.20₱642
114.71%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$13.57€12.07
$4.45₱280
204.94%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$22.99€20.45
$7.67₱483
199.74%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30€2.93
$3.31₱208
-0.30%
Banana(1kg)
$2.20€1.96
$1.46₱91.8
50.68%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.37€2.11
$2.32₱146
2.16%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.20€3.73
$1.49₱94.0
181.88%
Potato(1kg)
$1.92€1.71
$2.34₱147
-17.95%
Onion(1kg)
$2.06€1.83
$1.94₱122
6.19%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.77€1.58
$1.16₱73.0
52.59%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89€0.79
$0.68₱42.89
30.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89€12.35
$2.99₱188
364.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.83€7.86
$6.24₱393
41.51%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52€2.24
$1.23₱77.3
104.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57€3.17
$1.73₱109
106.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Massy
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.78€2.47
$0.23₱14.36
1108.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$94.6€84.1
$12.34₱777
666.21%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.18€1.94
$0.79₱49.96
175.95%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.42€1.27
$0.22₱13.86
545.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.11€21.44
$4.54₱286
431.06%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.21€1.96
$1.32₱82.9
67.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K€30.3K
$21.0K₱1.3M
62.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.2K€33.1K
$19.4K₱1.2M
91.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$214€190
$119₱7,464
80.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60€13.88
$14.22₱896
9.70%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36€27.89
$27.47₱1,730
14.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$36.06€32.08
$32.31₱2,034
11.61%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.71€20.20
$6.50₱409
249.38%
Cinema Ticket
$14.56€12.95
$5.40₱340
169.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$804€715
$276₱17.4K
191.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,515€4,906
$7,866₱495.3K
-29.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108€96.4
$49.37₱3,108
119.47%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.3€46.54
$24.58₱1,548
112.86%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$118€105
$76.6₱4,825
54.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112€100
$58.9₱3,706
91.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Massy
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,177€1,047
$503₱31.7K
133.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$886€788
$305₱19.2K
191.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,594€1,418
$1,075₱67.7K
48.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,709€1,520
$632₱39.8K
170.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,935€5,280
$2,870₱180.7K
106.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,404€3,028
$1,877₱118.2K
81.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Massy
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,020€2,687
$336₱21.1K
799.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
7.2
-46.53%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Massy: October 19, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Massy
$886 40.2%
Cebu
$305 33.3% ↓ 65.6%$582
🛒Groceries & Markets
Massy
$393 17.8%
Cebu
$210 22.9% ↓ 46.7%$183
🍽Eating Out
Massy
$308 14%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 71.5%$220
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Massy
$261 11.8%
Cebu
$160 17.5% ↓ 38.5%$100
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Massy
$176 8%
Cebu
$94 10.3% ↓ 46.5%$82
🚌Getting Around
Massy
$115 5.2%
Cebu
$15 1.7% ↓ 86.8%$100
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Massy
$65 3%
Cebu
$43 4.7% ↓ 33.9%$22
🏠Accommodation & Living
Massy
$1.7K 36.6%
Cebu
$632 32.9% ↓ 63%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Massy
$925 19.8%
Cebu
$491 25.6% ↓ 46.9%$433
🍽Eating Out
Massy
$980 21%
Cebu
$290 15.1% ↓ 70.4%$690
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Massy
$276 5.9%
Cebu
$174 9.1% ↓ 36.8%$102
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Massy
$392 8.4%
Cebu
$209 10.9% ↓ 46.5%$182
🚌Getting Around
Massy
$235 5%
Cebu
$31 1.6% ↓ 86.9%$205
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Massy
$153 3.3%
Cebu
$93 4.8% ↓ 39.4%$60
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Massy and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Massy pays 799% 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: $74.0 in Massy vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $210 per month, with Cebu 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
Massy vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Massy?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Massy or Cebu?
Average pay runs 799% higher in Massy, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Massy and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,177 in Massy versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Massy and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,204 per month in Massy versus $915 in Cebu – a 141% 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 Cebu runs roughly 666% less than in Massy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Massy or in Cebu?
At $915 in Cebu versus $2,204 in Massy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Massy. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Massy or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Massy, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Massy or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Massy 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Massy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.