Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meilen and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $3,372 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,372 in Meilen versus $918 in Cebu.

Meilen $3,372
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,942 in Meilen versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Meilen $5,942
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,512 in Meilen versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Meilen $8,512
Cebu $1,900

Living in Meilen is roughly 267% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Meilen is 150% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.47 CHF 26.74

$3.09 ₱195

950.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$24.22 ₱1,525

405.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 CHF 13.45

$3.92 ₱247

316.58%

Cappuccino

$6.31 CHF 5.19

$2.51 ₱158

151.39%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.67

$1.59 ₱100

257.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CHF 4.13

$0.53 ₱33.45

845.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 CHF 6.97

$1.78 ₱112

375.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 CHF 6.83

$2.17 ₱137

282.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$1.92 ₱121

15.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.69

$1.36 ₱85.5

140.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$1.01 ₱63.6

274.26%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$2.03 ₱128

268.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.56 CHF 21.87

$9.86 ₱621

169.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.69 CHF 21.16

$4.39 ₱277

485.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.25 CHF 33.15

$7.60 ₱479

429.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$3.30 ₱208

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.39 ₱87.8

46.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$2.33 ₱147

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$1.50 ₱94.3

205.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.36 ₱149

-16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.90 ₱119

13.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$1.19 ₱74.9

94.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$0.63 ₱39.73

98.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 9.09

$3.00 ₱189

267.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CHF 10.91

$6.03 ₱380

119.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.23 ₱77.7

83.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$1.75 ₱110

84.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$0.25 ₱15.87

1736.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 79.7

$12.64 ₱796

665.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 CHF 6.21

$0.77 ₱48.64

880.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$0.23 ₱14.54

1856.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 72.5

$4.46 ₱281

1873.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.31 ₱82.8

72.52%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

82.05%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

105.87%

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

$235 CHF 194

$120 ₱7,573

95.76%

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

$36.06 CHF 29.70

$14.00 ₱882

157.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 CHF 53.8

$27.54 ₱1,735

137.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.1 CHF 72.6

$32.33 ₱2,036

172.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.50 CHF 36.65

$6.65 ₱419

569.17%

Cinema Ticket

$21.90 CHF 18.04

$5.65 ₱356

287.61%

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

$2,816 CHF 2,319

$275 ₱17.3K

922.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

$7,918 ₱498.8K

433.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$49.33 ₱3,107

178.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 CHF 48.77

$25.24 ₱1,590

134.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 118

$77.0 ₱4,848

86.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 CHF 143

$57.2 ₱3,603

203.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CHF 1,392

$500 ₱31.5K

238.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 CHF 1,211

$309 ₱19.5K

376.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,831 CHF 2,332

$1,078 ₱67.9K

162.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,065 CHF 3,348

$615 ₱38.8K

560.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

$2,886 ₱181.8K

446.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,812

$1,917 ₱120.7K

521.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,259 CHF 6,802

$346 ₱21.8K

2287.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

7.2

-76.11%

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

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 79% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Meilen

$570 16.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 63.9% $364

Eating Out

Meilen

$486 14.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 81.8% $398

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meilen

$337 10%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 52% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Meilen

$231 6.9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 59.4% $137

Getting Around

Meilen

$145 4.3%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 89.3% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Meilen

$132 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 66.9% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Meilen and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 2287% 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: $122 in Meilen vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $570 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Meilen

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

22:39 10:39 PM

6 h ahead of Meilen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,515

964,169

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Meilen Cebu 10,990 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Meilen
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

Meilen vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 267% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2287% higher in Meilen, 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: $1,690 in Meilen versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,372 per month in Meilen versus $918 in Cebu – a 267% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 666% less than in Meilen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $3,372 in Meilen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Meilen. 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 Meilen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Meilen 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 267% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.