Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mutare and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Mutare: $789 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Mutare
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Mutare Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Mutare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$789

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in Mutare versus $918 in Cebu.

Mutare $789
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,220 in Mutare versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Mutare $1,220
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,651 in Mutare versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Mutare $1,651
Cebu $1,900

Living in Mutare costs roughly 14% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mutare 42% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 ZWL 270

$3.09 ₱194

228.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.07 ZWL 1,199

$24.22 ₱1,525

86.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 ZWL 118

$3.92 ₱247

12.76%

Cappuccino

$1.28 ZWL 34.07

$2.51 ₱158

-49.00%

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

$0.73 ZWL 19.54

$1.59 ₱100

-54.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ZWL 12.11

$0.53 ₱33.43

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ZWL 32.33

$1.78 ₱112

-31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ZWL 47.47

$2.17 ₱137

-17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ZWL 32.42

$1.92 ₱121

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ZWL 26.14

$1.36 ₱85.4

-27.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ZWL 35.28

$1.01 ₱63.5

31.68%

Eggs

$1.87 ZWL 49.72

$2.03 ₱128

-7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 ZWL 77.8

$9.86 ₱621

-70.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ZWL 107

$4.39 ₱277

-7.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.01 ZWL 133

$7.60 ₱479

-34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ZWL 54.3

$3.30 ₱208

-38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ZWL 45.15

$1.39 ₱87.8

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 ZWL 54.6

$2.33 ₱147

-12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ZWL 26.18

$1.50 ₱94.3

-34.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ZWL 46.52

$2.36 ₱149

-25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ZWL 26.33

$1.90 ₱119

-47.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ZWL 12.83

$1.19 ₱74.9

-59.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZWL 26.41

$0.63 ₱39.71

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

$3.00 ₱189

-60.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 ZWL 162

$6.03 ₱379

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.32

$1.23 ₱77.7

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ZWL 45.96

$1.75 ₱110

-1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ZWL 20.48

$0.25 ₱15.86

208.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 ZWL 704

$12.64 ₱796

109.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ZWL 80.3

$0.77 ₱48.62

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 ZWL 52.6

$0.23 ₱14.53

760.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ZWL 131

$4.46 ₱281

10.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 ZWL 49.42

$1.31 ₱82.8

41.98%

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

$21.6K ZWL 575.1K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.74%

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

$23.6K ZWL 629.3K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

23.51%

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

$50.7 ZWL 1,349

$120 ₱7,569

-57.82%

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

$14.72 ZWL 392

$14.00 ₱882

5.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

$27.54 ₱1,734

115.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 ZWL 1,063

$32.33 ₱2,035

23.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.05 ZWL 134

$6.65 ₱419

-24.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 ZWL 263

$5.65 ₱356

75.04%

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

$150 ZWL 4,002

$275 ₱17.3K

-45.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,553 ZWL 227.6K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

8.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 ZWL 268

$49.33 ₱3,106

-79.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.48 ZWL 252

$25.24 ₱1,589

-62.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.80 ZWL 660

$77.0 ₱4,846

-67.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$20.27 ZWL 539

$57.2 ₱3,601

-64.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 ZWL 9,462

$500 ₱31.5K

-28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ZWL 6,742

$309 ₱19.4K

-17.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ZWL 19.9K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ZWL 10.5K

$615 ₱38.7K

-35.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$246 ZWL 6,539

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-91.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$247 ZWL 6,566

$346 ₱21.8K

-28.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

7.2

90.14%

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

Last update for Mutare: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mutare

$253 32.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 21.9% $55

Groceries & Markets

Mutare

$155 19.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 32.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mutare

$125 15.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 29.6% $37

Eating Out

Mutare

$124 15.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 28.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Mutare

$60 7.6%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 27% $16

Getting Around

Mutare

$42 5.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 63.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Mutare

$29 3.7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 223% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Mutare and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 40% 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: $45.00 in Mutare vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $155 vs $206, with Mutare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Mutare

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

6 h ahead of Mutare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,243

964,169

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mutare Cebu 10,510 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mutare
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

Mutare vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mutare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $356 in Mutare versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $789 per month in Mutare versus $918 in Cebu – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mutare runs roughly 109% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Mutare gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mutare 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.

Safety-wise, Mutare 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 Mutare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.