Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bien Hoa and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bien Hoa: $660 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bien Hoa
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Bien Hoa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Bien Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$660

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $660 in Bien Hoa versus $918 in Cebu.

Bien Hoa $660
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $916 in Bien Hoa versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Bien Hoa $916
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,172 in Bien Hoa versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Bien Hoa $1,172
Cebu $1,900

Living in Bien Hoa costs roughly 28% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bien Hoa 51% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ₫50.4K

$3.09 ₱194

-36.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.65 ₫301.5K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-51.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 ₫116.4K

$3.92 ₱247

14.80%

Cappuccino

$1.13 ₫29.2K

$2.51 ₱158

-54.98%

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

$0.42 ₫10.8K

$1.59 ₱100

-73.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₫5,980

$0.53 ₱33.43

-56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$1.78 ₱112

-70.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₫19.4K

$2.17 ₱137

-65.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₫33.2K

$1.92 ₱121

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$1.36 ₱85.4

-41.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-14.85%

Eggs

$1.37 ₫35.5K

$2.03 ₱128

-32.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 ₫311.0K

$9.86 ₱621

21.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.89 ₫48.8K

$4.39 ₱277

-56.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 ₫243.0K

$7.60 ₱479

23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 ₫53.8K

$3.30 ₱208

-36.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.39 ₱87.8

-11.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.4K

$2.33 ₱147

-51.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₫23.8K

$1.50 ₱94.3

-38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.4K

$2.36 ₱149

-48.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.90 ₱119

-37.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ₫11.3K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-63.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$0.63 ₱39.71

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$3.00 ₱189

-58.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 ₫197.3K

$6.03 ₱379

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₫10.9K

$1.23 ₱77.7

-65.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₫19.3K

$1.75 ₱110

-57.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,180

$0.25 ₱15.86

28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.62 ₫171.3K

$12.64 ₱796

-47.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 ₫11.8K

$0.77 ₱48.62

-40.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.23 ₱14.53

139.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ₫30.2K

$4.46 ₱281

-73.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₫21.9K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-35.11%

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

$30.5K ₫790.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

43.65%

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

$30.4K ₫787.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

58.83%

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

$50.6 ₫1.3M

$120 ₱7,569

-57.90%

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

$4.21 ₫109.0K

$14.00 ₱882

-69.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.78 ₫175.4K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-75.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.83 ₫280.4K

$32.33 ₱2,035

-66.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.91 ₫204.7K

$6.65 ₱419

18.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 ₫87.4K

$5.65 ₱356

-40.18%

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

$67.6 ₫1.8M

$275 ₱17.3K

-75.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ₫366.8M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

78.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.41 ₫399.1K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-68.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.53 ₫402.1K

$25.24 ₱1,589

-38.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 ₫1.8M

$77.0 ₱4,846

-11.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 ₫2.5M

$57.2 ₱3,601

66.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₫10.4M

$500 ₱31.5K

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₫7.0M

$309 ₱19.4K

-12.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ₫10.7M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-61.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ₫8.0M

$615 ₱38.7K

-49.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,888 ₫74.8M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

0.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,326 ₫34.3M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-30.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 ₫7.8M

$346 ₱21.8K

-12.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.8

7.2

8.33%

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

Last update for Bien Hoa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bien Hoa

$270 40.9%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 14.4% $39

Groceries & Markets

Bien Hoa

$163 24.7%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 26.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Bien Hoa

$87 13.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 7.4% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bien Hoa

$62 9.3%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 163% $100

Eating Out

Bien Hoa

$49 7.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 79.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Bien Hoa

$18 2.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 148% $26

Getting Around

Bien Hoa

$11 1.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 40.3% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $404 in Bien Hoa and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 15% 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: $12.00 in Bien Hoa vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $206 per month, with Bien Hoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Bien Hoa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

1 h ahead of Bien Hoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,272,235

964,169

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

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 VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bien Hoa Cebu 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bien Hoa
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

Bien Hoa vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $404 in Bien Hoa versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Bien Hoa 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, Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.