Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bac Ninh

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Ninh: $459 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Bac Ninh
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Bac Ninh Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Bac Ninh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$459

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bac Ninh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Bac Ninh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $459 in Bac Ninh, rent included.

Cebu $918
Bac Ninh $459

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $745 in Bac Ninh, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Bac Ninh $745

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $1,031 in Bac Ninh, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Bac Ninh $1,031

Cebu costs about 100% more than Bac Ninh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cebu and Bac Ninh are more affordable than the global median – Cebu 32% lower, Bac Ninh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.19 ₫30.8K

159.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$23.38 ₫605.3K

3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$2.55 ₫66.0K

53.73%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.14 ₫29.5K

120.18%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.26 ₫6,728

511.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.18 ₫4,682

194.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.66 ₫17.0K

169.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$0.97 ₫25.1K

123.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.47 ₫38.0K

30.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.12 ₫29.0K

21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.75 ₫19.4K

34.67%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.50 ₫38.9K

35.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.28 ₫266.1K

-4.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.69 ₫95.5K

18.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.16 ₫263.2K

-25.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.37 ₫87.3K

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.04 ₫27.0K

33.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.38 ₫35.7K

68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.10 ₫28.5K

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.99 ₫25.7K

138.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.13 ₫29.3K

68.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.57 ₫14.8K

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.56 ₫14.5K

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.42 ₫36.8K

111.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$12.35 ₫319.6K

-51.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$0.90 ₫23.3K

36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.72 ₫44.5K

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.37 ₫9,594

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.79 ₫20.4K

-2.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.57 ₫14.7K

-59.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$2.29 ₫59.4K

94.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.95 ₫24.6K

37.89%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$30.3K ₫783.3M

-29.79%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$29.6K ₫765.7M

-35.26%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$84.6 ₫2.2M

42.08%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$5.33 ₫138.0K

162.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$6.99 ₫181.0K

293.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$11.60 ₫300.2K

178.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$7.57 ₫195.9K

-12.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$3.10 ₫80.2K

82.26%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$698 ₫18.1M

-60.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$12.5K ₫324.9M

-36.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$48.29 ₫1.3M

2.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$26.16 ₫677.3K

-3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$82.8 ₫2.1M

-7.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$77.3 ₫2.0M

-25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$701 ₫18.2M

-28.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,658 ₫42.9M

74.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$785 ₫20.3M

144.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$378 ₫9.8M

-8.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

8.28

-13.04%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bac Ninh: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Bac Ninh

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Bac Ninh

$196 42.6% 5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Bac Ninh

$97 21.1% 40.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Bac Ninh

$106 23% 12.4% $12

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bac Ninh

$38 8.2% 57.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Bac Ninh

$18 3.9% 59.2% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Bac Ninh

$5.1 * 1.1% 67.2% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $701 in Bac Ninh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Bac Ninh, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $23.00 in Bac Ninh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $196 – making Bac Ninh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇻🇳 Bac Ninh

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

288,766

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Bac Ninh 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bac Ninh

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

Cebu vs Bac Ninh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu costs about 100% more than Bac Ninh, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $688 in Bac Ninh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu and $23.00 in Bac Ninh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Cebu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bac Ninh, where all-in costs run around $459, than in Cebu at $918. In Bac Ninh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cebu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bac Ninh costs $459 versus $918 in Cebu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bac Ninh. 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.