For one person, living is cheaper in Medea: $452 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Medea and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $452 in Medea versus $918 in Cebu.
Medea $452
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $773 in Medea versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Medea $773
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,095 in Medea versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Medea $1,095
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Medea costs roughly 51% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Medea67% lower, Cebu32% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.91DZD 256
$3.09₱194
-38.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.16DZD 3,771
$24.22₱1,525
16.27%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.97DZD 532
$3.92₱247
1.28%
Cappuccino
$0.37DZD 49.16
$2.51₱158
-85.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40DZD 53.9
$1.59₱100
-74.84%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19DZD 26.00
$0.53₱33.43
-64.15%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.26DZD 303
$1.78₱112
26.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28DZD 305
$2.17₱137
5.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.89DZD 119
$1.92₱121
-53.65%
White Bread(500g)
$0.09DZD 11.91
$1.36₱85.4
-93.38%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.14DZD 153
$1.01₱63.5
12.87%
Eggs
$1.17DZD 157
$2.03₱128
-42.36%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.02DZD 1,074
$9.86₱621
-18.66%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.85DZD 515
$4.39₱277
-12.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.49DZD 1,941
$7.60₱479
90.66%
Apples(1kg)
$2.00DZD 268
$3.30₱208
-39.39%
Banana(1kg)
$2.77DZD 370
$1.39₱87.8
99.28%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.08DZD 144
$2.33₱147
-53.65%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.55DZD 73.0
$1.50₱94.3
-63.33%
Potato(1kg)
$0.57DZD 76.3
$2.36₱149
-75.85%
Onion(1kg)
$0.49DZD 65.0
$1.90₱119
-74.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.80DZD 108
$1.19₱74.9
-32.77%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27DZD 36.50
$0.63₱39.71
-57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.07DZD 277
$3.00₱189
-31.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.59DZD 882
$6.03₱379
9.29%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27DZD 170
$1.23₱77.7
3.25%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91DZD 256
$1.75₱110
9.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Medea
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.21DZD 28.23
$0.25₱15.86
-16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$6.77DZD 906
$12.64₱796
-46.44%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.54DZD 72.6
$0.77₱48.62
-29.87%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.46DZD 62.2
$0.23₱14.53
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.54DZD 741
$4.46₱281
24.22%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.36DZD 47.76
$1.31₱82.8
-72.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.9KDZD 2.5M
$21.2K₱1.3M
-10.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9KDZD 4.7M
$19.1K₱1.2M
82.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$18.45DZD 2,470
$120₱7,569
-84.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.91DZD 1,059
$14.00₱882
-43.50%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.23DZD 1,638
$27.54₱1,734
-55.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$22.02DZD 2,948
$32.33₱2,035
-31.89%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$1.89DZD 254
$6.65₱419
-71.58%
Cinema Ticket
$3.29DZD 440
$5.65₱356
-41.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$38.35DZD 5,134
$275₱17.3K
-86.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,214DZD 831.9K
$7,918₱498.5K
-21.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.56DZD 2,619
$49.33₱3,106
-60.35%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.40DZD 4,204
$25.24₱1,589
24.41%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$30.44DZD 4,075
$77.0₱4,846
-60.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.5DZD 7,159
$57.2₱3,601
-6.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medea
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$146DZD 19.6K
$500₱31.5K
-70.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$91.4DZD 12.2K
$309₱19.4K
-70.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$273DZD 36.6K
$1,078₱67.9K
-74.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$192DZD 25.7K
$615₱38.7K
-68.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$969DZD 129.8K
$2,886₱181.7K
-66.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,029DZD 137.8K
$1,917₱120.7K
-46.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medea
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$310DZD 41.6K
$346₱21.8K
-10.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5
7.2
-30.56%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Medea: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Medea
$172 38.1%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↑ 19.7%$34
🏠Accommodation & Living
Medea
$91 20.3%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↑ 238%$217
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Medea
$61 13.4%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↑ 54.8%$33
🍽Eating Out
Medea
$50 11.1%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↑ 76.9%$38
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medea
$39 8.5%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↑ 319%$123
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Medea
$29 6.3%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↑ 52.6%$15
🚌Getting Around
Medea
$10 2.3%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↑ 48.6%$5.1
🛒Groceries & Markets
Medea
$406 37.1%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↑ 18.9%$77
🏠Accommodation & Living
Medea
$192 17.5%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↑ 221%$423
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Medea
$135 12.3%
Cebu
$209 11% ↑ 54.8%$74
🍽Eating Out
Medea
$235 21.4%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↑ 24.4%$57
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medea
$47 4.3%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↑ 278%$129
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Medea
$59 5.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↑ 58.9%$35
🚌Getting Around
Medea
$21 2%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↑ 48.1%$10
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $146 in Medea and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Cebu pays 11% 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: $28.00 in Medea vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $172 vs $206, with Medea cheaper for home cooking.
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
Medea vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Medea?
Medea is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Medea or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Medea and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $146 in Medea versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Medea and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $452 per month in Medea versus $918 in Cebu – a 103% 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 Medea runs roughly 87% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Medea or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Medea gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Medea or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Medea is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Medea or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Medea 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 Medea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.