For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,055 in Mosta, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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 Mosta and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,055 in Mosta versus $918 in Cebu.
Mosta $2,055
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,080 in Mosta versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Mosta $3,080
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,105 in Mosta versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Mosta $4,105
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Mosta is roughly 124% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Mosta is 52% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.94€15.07
$3.09₱194
448.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.5€79.6
$24.22₱1,525
269.61%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$12.46€11.08
$3.92₱247
217.86%
Cappuccino
$2.37€2.11
$2.51₱158
-5.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.86
$1.59₱100
31.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15€1.02
$0.53₱33.43
116.98%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.77€2.46
$1.78₱112
55.62%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.00€4.44
$2.17₱137
130.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.36€1.21
$1.92₱121
-29.17%
White Bread(500g)
$1.41€1.25
$1.36₱85.4
3.68%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.55€3.16
$1.01₱63.5
251.49%
Eggs
$3.27€2.91
$2.03₱128
61.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.51€9.34
$9.86₱621
6.59%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.17€10.83
$4.39₱277
177.22%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.33€10.08
$7.60₱479
49.08%
Apples(1kg)
$3.87€3.44
$3.30₱208
17.27%
Banana(1kg)
$2.69€2.40
$1.39₱87.8
93.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.00€1.78
$2.33₱147
-14.16%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.70€3.29
$1.50₱94.3
146.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.62€1.44
$2.36₱149
-31.36%
Onion(1kg)
$2.55€2.27
$1.90₱119
34.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.26€2.01
$1.19₱74.9
89.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62€0.56
$0.63₱39.71
-1.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.16€5.48
$3.00₱189
105.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.08€5.41
$6.03₱379
0.83%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20€1.07
$1.23₱77.7
-2.44%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30€2.05
$1.75₱110
31.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.74€2.44
$0.25₱15.86
996.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$12.64₱796
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.97€3.53
$0.77₱48.62
415.58%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.84€1.64
$0.23₱14.53
700.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$28.13€25.03
$4.46₱281
530.72%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.54€1.37
$1.31₱82.8
17.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K€24.7K
$21.2K₱1.3M
30.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K€34.1K
$19.1K₱1.2M
100.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119€106
$120₱7,569
-1.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.03€22.26
$14.00₱882
78.79%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.18€25.96
$27.54₱1,734
5.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$74.9€66.6
$32.33₱2,035
131.61%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.39€29.70
$6.65₱419
402.11%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15€9.91
$5.65₱356
97.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$277€246
$275₱17.3K
0.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.1K€10.7K
$7,918₱498.5K
52.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0€50.7
$49.33₱3,106
15.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.3€60.8
$25.24₱1,589
170.76%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$111€98.6
$77.0₱4,846
44.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€116
$57.2₱3,601
128.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,206€1,073
$500₱31.5K
141.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,064€947
$309₱19.4K
244.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,000€1,779
$1,078₱67.9K
85.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,635€1,454
$615₱38.7K
165.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$2,886₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$1,917₱120.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mosta
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,767€1,571
$346₱21.8K
410.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.05
7.2
-43.75%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mosta: October 10, 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mosta
$1.1K 51.8%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 71%$756
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mosta
$293 14.3%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 29.7%$87
🍽Eating Out
Mosta
$238 11.6%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 62.9%$150
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
$173 8.4%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 6.4%$11
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
$165 8%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 43.1%$71
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
$97 4.7%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 55.1%$54
🚌Getting Around
Mosta
$24 * 1.2%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 35.6%$8.6
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Mosta
$1.6K 39.8%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 62.4%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Mosta
$691 16.8%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 30.1%$208
🍽Eating Out
Mosta
$933 22.7%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 68.7%$641
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mosta
$198 4.8%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 11.2%$22
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Mosta
$367 8.9%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 43.1%$158
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Mosta
$228 5.6%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 58.8%$134
🚌Getting Around
Mosta
$54 * 1.3%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 41.2%$22
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Mosta and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Mosta pays 411% 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: $90.0 in Mosta vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Mosta vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Mosta?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mosta or Cebu?
Average pay runs 411% higher in Mosta, 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 Mosta and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,206 in Mosta versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Mosta and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Mosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Mosta and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $2,055 per month in Mosta versus $918 in Cebu – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mosta or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $2,055 in Mosta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mosta. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Mosta or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mosta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Mosta or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Mosta 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 124% less than in Mosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.