Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mons and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,893 in Mons, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
Learn more

Mons Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,893

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,893 in Mons versus $918 in Cebu.

Mons $1,893
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,798 in Mons versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Mons $2,798
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,704 in Mons versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Mons $3,704
Cebu $1,900

Living in Mons is roughly 106% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mons is 40% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.15

$3.09 ₱194

451.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €73.3

$24.22 ₱1,525

240.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 €8.94

$3.92 ₱247

156.38%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.23

$2.51 ₱158

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

$2.74 €2.44

$1.59 ₱100

72.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.53 ₱33.43

220.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$1.78 ₱112

117.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.83

$2.17 ₱137

98.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.92 ₱121

-39.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.36 ₱85.4

61.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.01 ₱63.5

117.82%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.64

$2.03 ₱128

101.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.75

$9.86 ₱621

90.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 €11.05

$4.39 ₱277

182.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.33

$7.60 ₱479

156.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.30 ₱208

-17.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.39 ₱87.8

69.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.33 ₱147

11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.50 ₱94.3

86.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.36 ₱149

-9.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.90 ₱119

-38.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.19 ₱74.9

10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.63 ₱39.71

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.59

$3.00 ₱189

222.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €5.02

$6.03 ₱379

-6.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$1.23 ₱77.7

54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.75 ₱110

3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 €2.71

$0.25 ₱15.86

1116.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.67 €37.06

$12.64 ₱796

229.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.95 €9.74

$0.77 ₱48.62

1322.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.54

$0.23 ₱14.53

1139.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 €22.42

$4.46 ₱281

465.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.31 ₱82.8

39.69%

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

$35.7K €31.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

68.01%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

74.84%

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

$223 €198

$120 ₱7,569

85.54%

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

$20.52 €18.25

$14.00 ₱882

46.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.91 €40.84

$27.54 ₱1,734

66.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.32 €23.41

$32.33 ₱2,035

-18.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

$6.65 ₱419

176.24%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 €10.84

$5.65 ₱356

115.58%

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

$552 €491

$275 ₱17.3K

100.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K €18.7K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

165.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.7

$49.33 ₱3,106

115.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.28 €41.17

$25.24 ₱1,589

83.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$77.0 ₱4,846

40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$57.2 ₱3,601

156.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 €610

$500 ₱31.5K

37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €630

$309 ₱19.4K

129.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €917

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 €886

$615 ₱38.7K

61.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 €3,641

$2,886 ₱181.7K

41.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 €2,585

$1,917 ₱120.7K

51.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,796 €2,487

$346 ₱21.8K

708.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

7.2

-55.56%

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

Last update for Mons: 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

Mons

$709 37.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 56.4% $400

Groceries & Markets

Mons

$339 17.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 39.3% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mons

$290 15.3%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 44.1% $128

Eating Out

Mons

$242 12.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 63.6% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Mons

$184 9.7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 48.8% $90

Getting Around

Mons

$79 4.2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 80.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Mons

$51 2.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 13.9% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $686 in Mons and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mons pays 708% 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: $82.0 in Mons vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mons

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

13:47 1:47 PM

6 h ahead of Mons

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,721

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 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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mons Cebu 11,130 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mons
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

Mons vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 708% higher in Mons, 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: $686 in Mons versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,893 per month in Mons versus $918 in Cebu – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 230% less than in Mons. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,893 in Mons, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mons. 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 Mons, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mons 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 106% less than in Mons. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.