Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Battambang and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Battambang: $650 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Battambang
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$650
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$934
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Battambang versus $934 in Cebu.

  • Battambang $650
  • Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,040 in Battambang versus $1,415 in Cebu.

  • Battambang $1,040
  • Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,429 in Battambang versus $1,896 in Cebu.

  • Battambang $1,429
  • Cebu $1,896

Living in Battambang costs roughly 30% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Battambang 51% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.44 ៛9,904
$3.03 ₱190
-19.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.77 ៛72.1K
$23.48 ₱1,473
-24.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.19 ៛25.1K
$4.09 ₱256
51.34%
Cappuccino
$1.35 ៛5,464
$2.52 ₱158
-46.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ៛2,748
$1.54 ₱96.9
-55.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ៛2,115
$0.49 ₱30.98
6.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.84 ៛3,423
$1.79 ₱112
-53.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 ៛9,335
$2.26 ₱142
1.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 ៛8,929
$1.95 ₱122
12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 ៛4,129
$1.43 ₱89.7
-28.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.99 ៛4,011
$1.02 ₱63.8
-2.94%
Eggs
$1.68 ៛6,818
$2.06 ₱129
-18.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.88 ៛60.3K
$9.81 ₱615
51.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.44 ៛9,885
$4.61 ₱289
-47.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.26 ៛37.6K
$7.70 ₱483
20.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.96 ៛16.1K
$3.31 ₱207
19.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 ៛5,202
$1.45 ₱90.9
-11.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.19 ៛17.0K
$2.36 ₱148
77.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 ៛8,860
$1.54 ₱96.4
41.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 ៛6,358
$2.36 ₱148
-33.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 ៛4,661
$1.99 ₱125
-42.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 ៛2,951
$1.15 ₱72.1
-36.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 ៛2,996
$0.67 ₱42.15
10.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.87 ៛7,582
$3.00 ₱188
-37.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.16 ៛45.3K
$6.35 ₱398
75.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ៛2,442
$1.31 ₱81.9
-54.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ៛3,987
$1.73 ₱108
-43.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.25 ₱15.78
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.65 ₱793
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.90 ៛3,657
$0.74 ₱46.32
21.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 ៛3,622
$0.21 ₱13.11
323.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.87 ៛19.8K
$4.33 ₱271
12.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 ៛5,063
$1.33 ₱83.5
-6.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K ៛141.2M
$21.8K ₱1.4M
60.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K ៛138.2M
$19.4K ₱1.2M
75.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.7 ៛258.4K
$121 ₱7,563
-47.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.77 ៛11.2K
$14.45 ₱907
-80.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.60 ៛99.8K
$28.29 ₱1,774
-13.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.59 ៛91.6K
$32.68 ₱2,050
-30.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.39 ₱401
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.89 ៛19.8K
$5.46 ₱342
-10.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$91.1 ៛369.3K
$273 ₱17.1K
-66.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,931 ៛15.9M
$8,156 ₱511.5K
-51.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.04 ៛81.3K
$49.57 ₱3,109
-59.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.47 ៛99.3K
$24.87 ₱1,560
-1.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.2 ៛373.9K
$76.6 ₱4,804
20.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.66 ៛181.1K
$59.3 ₱3,717
-24.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$221 ៛894.9K
$506 ₱31.7K
-56.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$151 ៛613.7K
$309 ₱19.4K
-51.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$433 ៛1.8M
$1,052 ₱66.0K
-58.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$327 ៛1.3M
$619 ₱38.8K
-47.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,915 ₱182.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,867 ₱117.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Battambang
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$199 ៛807.6K
$341 ₱21.4K
-41.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.25
7.2
0.69%

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

Last update for Battambang: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Battambang
$229
Cebu
$210 8% $18
Accommodation & Living
Battambang
$151
Cebu
$309 105% $158
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Battambang
$91
Cebu
$163 79.3% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Battambang
$82
Cebu
$95 16% $13
Eating Out
Battambang
$68
Cebu
$88 30.2% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Battambang
$32
Cebu
$44 34.7% $11
Getting Around
Battambang
$5.4 *
Cebu
$15 188% $10

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 $221 in Battambang and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 71% 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: $18.00 in Battambang vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $210, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Battambang
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
14:25 2:25 PM
15:25 3:25 PM
1 h ahead of Battambang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
196,709
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,056 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,549 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Battambang Cebu 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Battambang
  • 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
Battambang vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Battambang or Cebu?
Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Cebu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Battambang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Battambang or in Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 71% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Battambang compared to Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $221 in Battambang versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Battambang and in Cebu?
Childcare runs $91.1 in Battambang versus $273 in Cebu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Battambang and in Cebu?
Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Battambang or in Cebu?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Battambang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Battambang or Cebu?
Both work as nomad bases, but Battambang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $650 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Battambang hard to pass up.
How safe is Battambang compared to Cebu?
Safety-wise, Battambang 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Battambang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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