Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabat and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabat: $834 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Rabat
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Rabat Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Rabat

🇲🇦 Morocco

$834

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $834 in Rabat versus $934 in Cebu.

Rabat $834
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Rabat versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Rabat $1,433
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,031 in Rabat versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Rabat $2,031
Cebu $1,896

Living in Rabat costs roughly 11% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rabat 38% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 MAD 42.37

$3.03 ₱191

40.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.69 MAD 404

$23.48 ₱1,476

73.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 MAD 68.6

$4.09 ₱257

68.95%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MAD 19.00

$2.52 ₱158

-23.81%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.58

$1.54 ₱97.2

-63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.49

$0.49 ₱31.06

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MAD 50.2

$1.79 ₱113

183.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MAD 30.65

$2.26 ₱142

36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.53

$1.95 ₱122

-55.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MAD 6.41

$1.43 ₱89.9

-54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 18.94

$1.02 ₱64.0

87.25%

Eggs

$1.84 MAD 18.28

$2.06 ₱129

-10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 MAD 109

$9.81 ₱617

12.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 MAD 65.8

$4.61 ₱290

43.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 MAD 119

$7.70 ₱484

55.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 MAD 15.78

$3.31 ₱208

-51.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MAD 13.44

$1.45 ₱91.2

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MAD 8.23

$2.36 ₱148

-64.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.74

$1.54 ₱96.6

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MAD 7.06

$2.36 ₱148

-69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.80

$1.99 ₱125

-60.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.90

$1.15 ₱72.3

-66.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$0.67 ₱42.26

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 40.64

$3.00 ₱189

36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 MAD 70.9

$6.35 ₱399

12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MAD 26.02

$1.31 ₱82.1

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 25.90

$1.73 ₱109

50.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MAD 4.86

$0.25 ₱15.82

96.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.98 MAD 248

$12.65 ₱796

97.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 7.13

$0.74 ₱46.44

-2.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MAD 5.76

$0.21 ₱13.15

176.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.64

$1.33 ₱83.7

11.28%

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

$30.2K MAD 299.3K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

38.65%

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

$29.6K MAD 293.6K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

52.61%

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

$35.22 MAD 349

$121 ₱7,583

-70.79%

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

$9.44 MAD 93.7

$14.45 ₱909

-34.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.23 MAD 330

$28.29 ₱1,779

17.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.99 MAD 278

$32.68 ₱2,055

-14.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.54 MAD 233

$6.39 ₱402

268.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.97 MAD 59.2

$5.46 ₱343

9.34%

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

$180 MAD 1,786

$273 ₱17.2K

-34.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,210 MAD 91.3K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

12.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.06 MAD 457

$49.57 ₱3,117

-7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 MAD 388

$24.87 ₱1,564

57.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 MAD 906

$76.6 ₱4,817

19.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 MAD 644

$59.3 ₱3,727

9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 MAD 5,171

$506 ₱31.8K

3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MAD 2,661

$309 ₱19.5K

-13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MAD 9,485

$1,052 ₱66.1K

-9.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MAD 6,809

$619 ₱38.9K

10.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MAD 19.5K

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MAD 11.3K

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-39.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 MAD 6,893

$341 ₱21.5K

103.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

7.2

-37.22%

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

Last update for Rabat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabat

$268 32%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 15.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Rabat

$201 23.9%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 4.7% $9.5

Eating Out

Rabat

$113 13.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 21.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Rabat

$109 13%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 12.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabat

$78 9.3%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 110% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Rabat

$40 4.8%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 9.2% $3.7

Getting Around

Rabat

$31 3.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 49.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $521 in Rabat and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rabat pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Rabat vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $210, with Rabat cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Rabat

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

14:16 2:16 PM

7 h ahead of Rabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

573,895 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.08 USD

100 MAD = 8.99 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.92 MAD (1 MAD = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.12 MAD (100 MAD = 8.99 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rabat Cebu 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabat
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

Rabat vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabat is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Rabat, 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: $521 in Rabat versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $834 per month in Rabat versus $934 in Cebu – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rabat runs roughly 97% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $834 in Rabat versus $934 in Cebu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rabat 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, Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.