Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ca Mau and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ca Mau: $762 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ca Mau
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Ca Mau Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Ca Mau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$762

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $762 per month in Ca Mau vs $918 in Cebu, rent included.

Ca Mau $762
Cebu $918

A couple spends around $1,232 per month in Ca Mau vs $1,409 in Cebu, rent included.

Ca Mau $1,232
Cebu $1,409

A family of three spends $1,702 per month in Ca Mau vs $1,900 in Cebu, rent included.

Ca Mau $1,702
Cebu $1,900

Ca Mau is about 17% cheaper than Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ca Mau and Cebu are more affordable than the global median – Ca Mau 44% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$3.09 ₱194

-35.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.06 ₫493.3K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 ₫110.1K

$3.92 ₱247

8.42%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₫45.0K

$2.51 ₱158

-30.68%

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

$0.54 ₫13.9K

$1.59 ₱100

-66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,564

$0.53 ₱33.43

-37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ₫22.0K

$1.78 ₱112

-52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₫36.6K

$2.17 ₱137

-35.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ₫38.4K

$1.92 ₱121

-22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.36 ₱85.4

-21.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-4.95%

Eggs

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$2.03 ₱128

-25.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 ₫285.9K

$9.86 ₱621

11.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.75 ₫97.2K

$4.39 ₱277

-14.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ₫254.5K

$7.60 ₱479

29.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$3.30 ₱208

-8.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₫29.0K

$1.39 ₱87.8

-19.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ₫34.8K

$2.33 ₱147

-42.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.3K

$1.50 ₱94.3

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.0K

$2.36 ₱149

-54.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$1.90 ₱119

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₫16.0K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-47.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.63 ₱39.71

-15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 ₫37.0K

$3.00 ₱189

-52.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 ₫312.1K

$6.03 ₱379

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₫21.6K

$1.23 ₱77.7

-32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₫42.6K

$1.75 ₱110

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,913

$0.25 ₱15.86

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.44 ₫166.7K

$12.64 ₱796

-49.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.77 ₱48.62

-3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.23 ₱14.53

147.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 ₫63.2K

$4.46 ₱281

-45.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-31.30%

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

$31.0K ₫801.6M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

45.76%

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

$30.1K ₫779.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

57.32%

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

$76.0 ₫2.0M

$120 ₱7,569

-36.79%

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

$5.77 ₫149.3K

$14.00 ₱882

-58.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.32 ₫215.3K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-69.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.23 ₫575.6K

$32.33 ₱2,035

-31.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.76 ₫200.8K

$6.65 ₱419

16.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₫79.1K

$5.65 ₱356

-45.84%

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

$160 ₫4.2M

$275 ₱17.3K

-41.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ₫315.8M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

54.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.96 ₫1.2M

$49.33 ₱3,106

-6.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.43 ₫684.2K

$25.24 ₱1,589

4.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 ₫2.1M

$77.0 ₱4,846

7.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 ₫2.0M

$57.2 ₱3,601

35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₫10.5M

$500 ₱31.5K

-18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₫7.0M

$309 ₱19.4K

-12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 ₫19.2M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-31.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 ₫16.1M

$615 ₱38.7K

1.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,806 ₫72.6M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-2.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,282 ₫33.2M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-33.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.46

7.2

17.50%

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

Last update for Ca Mau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ca Mau

$271 35.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 13.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Ca Mau

$196 25.7%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 5.1% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ca Mau

$105 13.7%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 10.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ca Mau

$90 11.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 79.6% $72

Eating Out

Ca Mau

$60 7.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 47.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ca Mau

$28 3.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 53.9% $15

Getting Around

Ca Mau

$11 1.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 36.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Ca Mau versus $500 in Cebu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Ca Mau versus $24.00 in Cebu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $206 – making Ca Mau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ca Mau

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

1 h ahead of Ca Mau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,372

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ca Mau Cebu 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ca Mau
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

Ca Mau vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cebu is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,142 per month in Ca Mau and $1,377 in Cebu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ca Mau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 96% less in Ca Mau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $160 per month in Ca Mau and $275 in Cebu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $762 in Ca Mau and $918 in Cebu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ca Mau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ca Mau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cebu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.