Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Cha-am

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Cha-am: $918 and $880 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Cha-am
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Cha-am Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Cha-am

🇹🇭 Thailand

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Cha-am

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 Cha-am actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $880 in Cha-am.

Cebu $918
Cha-am $880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,412 in Cha-am.

Cebu $1,409
Cha-am $1,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,944 in Cha-am.

Cebu $1,900
Cha-am $1,944

Living in Cebu is roughly 4% more expensive than in Cha-am, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Cha-am 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$3.29 ฿110

-6.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$22.60 ฿755

7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.27 ฿243

-46.08%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.04 ฿68.1

23.04%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.68 ฿22.66

133.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.34 ฿11.50

55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.36 ฿78.7

-24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.00 ฿100

-27.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.78 ฿59.5

7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.49 ฿49.76

-8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.33 ฿44.43

-24.06%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.95 ฿65.0

4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$12.47 ฿417

-20.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.54 ฿85.0

72.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.20 ฿341

-25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.53 ฿118

-6.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.22 ฿40.86

13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.87 ฿62.5

24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.75 ฿58.3

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.76 ฿59.0

34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.09 ฿36.28

74.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.16 ฿38.80

2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.45 ฿15.07

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.31 ฿144

-30.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$17.71 ฿592

-65.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.73 ฿57.8

-28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.96 ฿99.0

-40.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.92 ฿30.63

-72.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$22.26 ฿744

-43.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.37 ฿45.80

-43.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.07 ฿35.67

-78.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$3.62 ฿121

23.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.40 ฿46.86

-6.43%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$16.4K ฿546.9K

29.80%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.1K ฿905.9K

-29.37%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$82.1 ฿2,744

46.46%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$11.41 ฿381

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$23.66 ฿791

16.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$23.81 ฿796

35.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$5.81 ฿194

14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.65 ฿222

-15.04%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$609 ฿20.4K

-54.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$11.0K ฿368.4K

-28.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$50.1 ฿1,675

-1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$29.35 ฿981

-14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$70.5 ฿2,357

9.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$52.6 ฿1,758

8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$373 ฿12.5K

33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$273 ฿9,109

13.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$750 ฿25.1K

43.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$643 ฿21.5K

-4.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$351 ฿11.7K

-1.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.96

20.81%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Cha-am

$273 31% 11.8% $36

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Cha-am

$235 26.7% 14.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Cha-am

$117 13.3% 27.6% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Cha-am

$91 10.4% 2.9% $2.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Cha-am

$94 10.7% 7% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Cha-am

$37 4.2% 14.9% $6.5

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Cha-am

$33 3.7% 110% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $373 in Cha-am. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cha-am pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $23.00 in Cha-am. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $235, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Cha-am

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

31,354

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Cha-am 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Cha-am

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 Cha-am: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cha-am is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Cha-am. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $373 in Cha-am. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $880 in Cha-am – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cha-am runs roughly 76% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cha-am gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cha-am 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, Cebu and Cha-am 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.