Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Metz and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,858 in Metz, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Metz
🇫🇷 France
$1,858
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,858 in Metz versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Metz $1,858
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,774 in Metz versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Metz $2,774
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,690 in Metz versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Metz $3,690
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Metz is roughly 102% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Metz is 38% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$3.09 ₱194
444.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.0
$24.22 ₱1,525
178.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.24 €10.00
$3.92 ₱247
186.73%
Cappuccino
$3.61 €3.21
$2.51 ₱158
43.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 €3.65
$1.59 ₱100
157.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 €2.20
$0.53 ₱33.43
366.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.16 €4.59
$1.78 ₱112
189.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$2.17 ₱137
158.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.92 ₱121
-42.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.42 €2.15
$1.36 ₱85.4
77.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.75 €2.45
$1.01 ₱63.5
172.28%
Eggs
$4.36 €3.88
$2.03 ₱128
114.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.33 €19.86
$9.86 ₱621
126.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.67 €12.16
$4.39 ₱277
211.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.62 €19.23
$7.60 ₱479
184.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 €2.80
$3.30 ₱208
-4.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.39 ₱87.8
64.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 €2.63
$2.33 ₱147
27.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 €3.81
$1.50 ₱94.3
185.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.36 ₱149
-21.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$1.90 ₱119
28.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.19 ₱74.9
55.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
$0.63 ₱39.71
39.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.65 €13.03
$3.00 ₱189
388.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 €7.84
$6.03 ₱379
46.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.38
$1.23 ₱77.7
117.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 €3.24
$1.75 ₱110
108.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Metz
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.25 ₱15.86
804.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.0 €48.93
$12.64 ₱796
335.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.87 €7.89
$0.77 ₱48.62
1051.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 €1.31
$0.23 ₱14.53
539.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.93 €39.08
$4.46 ₱281
884.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.31 ₱82.8
59.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K €30.7K
$21.2K ₱1.3M
62.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$19.1K ₱1.2M
85.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$153 €136
$120 ₱7,569
27.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.89 €14.13
$14.00 ₱882
13.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.56 €20.06
$27.54 ₱1,734
-18.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.63 €17.46
$32.33 ₱2,035
-39.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.04 €9.82
$6.65 ₱419
66.02%
Cinema Ticket
$11.03 €9.81
$5.65 ₱356
95.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,818 €1,617
$275 ₱17.3K
560.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K €23.3K
$7,918 ₱498.5K
231.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.7 €84.2
$49.33 ₱3,106
91.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.44 €19.96
$25.24 ₱1,589
-11.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.1 €82.9
$77.0 ₱4,846
21.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 €139
$57.2 ₱3,601
172.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Metz
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$740 €659
$500 ₱31.5K
48.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$712 €633
$309 ₱19.4K
130.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 €1,017
$1,078 ₱67.9K
6.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,047 €931
$615 ₱38.7K
70.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,656 €3,252
$2,886 ₱181.7K
26.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,931 €2,607
$1,917 ₱120.7K
52.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Metz
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,301 €2,936
$346 ₱21.8K
854.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.4
7.2
-52.78%

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

Last update for Metz: 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
Metz
$712
Cebu
$309 56.6% $403
Groceries & Markets
Metz
$393
Cebu
$206 47.6% $187
Eating Out
Metz
$275
Cebu
$88 67.9% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Metz
$192
Cebu
$162 15.5% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Metz
$165
Cebu
$94 43% $71
Getting Around
Metz
$80
Cebu
$16 80.6% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Metz
$42
Cebu
$44 4.6% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Metz and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Metz pays 854% 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: $67.0 in Metz vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Metz
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
10:41 10:41 AM
16:41 4:41 PM
6 h ahead of Metz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
120,874
964,169
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Metz Cebu 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Metz
  • 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
Metz vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Metz?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Metz or Cebu?
Average pay runs 854% higher in Metz, 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 Metz and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Metz 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 Metz and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,858 per month in Metz versus $918 in Cebu – a 102% 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 335% less than in Metz. 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 Metz or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,858 in Metz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Metz. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Metz or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Metz, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Metz or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Metz 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 102% less than in Metz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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