Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mataro and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,845 in Mataro, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Mataro
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Mataro Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Mataro

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,845

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,845 in Mataro versus $918 in Cebu.

Mataro $1,845
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,691 in Mataro versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Mataro $2,691
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,536 in Mataro versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Mataro $3,536
Cebu $1,900

Living in Mataro is roughly 101% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mataro is 37% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.67

$3.09 ₱194

433.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 €50.3

$24.22 ₱1,525

133.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$3.92 ₱247

239.54%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.88

$2.51 ₱158

-15.94%

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

$2.32 €2.06

$1.59 ₱100

45.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 €1.72

$0.53 ₱33.43

264.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.45

$1.78 ₱112

117.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.17 ₱137

51.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.92 ₱121

-39.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.36 ₱85.4

46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$1.01 ₱63.5

48.51%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.47

$2.03 ₱128

92.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.84 €14.98

$9.86 ₱621

70.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 €7.86

$4.39 ₱277

101.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 €17.72

$7.60 ₱479

162.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$3.30 ₱208

-17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.39 ₱87.8

46.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.33 ₱147

11.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.50 ₱94.3

82.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.36 ₱149

-14.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.90 ₱119

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.19 ₱74.9

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

$0.63 ₱39.71

39.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 €5.63

$3.00 ₱189

110.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.43 €4.83

$6.03 ₱379

-9.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.23 ₱77.7

-6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.75 ₱110

30.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 €2.28

$0.25 ₱15.86

928.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.25 €31.35

$12.64 ₱796

178.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 €2.06

$0.77 ₱48.62

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.23 ₱14.53

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 €26.00

$4.46 ₱281

555.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.31 ₱82.8

36.64%

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

$34.5K €30.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

62.38%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

48.51%

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

$181 €161

$120 ₱7,569

50.32%

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

$12.10 €10.77

$14.00 ₱882

-13.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.95 €25.75

$27.54 ₱1,734

5.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 €54.0

$32.33 ₱2,035

87.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 €12.40

$6.65 ₱419

109.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 €9.35

$5.65 ₱356

86.02%

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

$498 €443

$275 ₱17.3K

80.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,969 €7,089

$7,918 ₱498.5K

0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 €77.6

$49.33 ₱3,106

76.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 €34.71

$25.24 ₱1,589

54.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 €87.0

$77.0 ₱4,846

27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.5

$57.2 ₱3,601

95.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 €849

$500 ₱31.5K

91.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €704

$309 ₱19.4K

156.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 €1,200

$1,078 ₱67.9K

25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,048

$615 ₱38.7K

91.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,404 €3,028

$2,886 ₱181.7K

17.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,818 €2,507

$1,917 ₱120.7K

47.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,889 €1,681

$346 ₱21.8K

446.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

7.2

-54.44%

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

Last update for Mataro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mataro

$791 42.9%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 61% $482

Groceries & Markets

Mataro

$306 16.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 32.7% $100

Eating Out

Mataro

$240 13%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 63.3% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mataro

$222 12%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 27.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Mataro

$151 8.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 37.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Mataro

$82 4.4%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 46.6% $38

Getting Around

Mataro

$53 2.9%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 70.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $954 in Mataro and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mataro pays 446% 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: $57.0 in Mataro vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Mataro

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

05:02 5:02 AM

6 h ahead of Mataro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

129,870

964,169

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mataro Cebu 11,720 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mataro
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

Mataro vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 446% higher in Mataro, 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: $954 in Mataro versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,845 per month in Mataro versus $918 in Cebu – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 179% less than in Mataro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,845 in Mataro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mataro. 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 Mataro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mataro 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 101% less than in Mataro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.