Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Chanthaburi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $965 in Chanthaburi, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Chanthaburi despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Chanthaburi
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Chanthaburi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Chanthaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Chanthaburi

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 Chanthaburi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $965 in Chanthaburi.

Cebu $918
Chanthaburi $965

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,594 in Chanthaburi.

Cebu $1,409
Chanthaburi $1,594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,224 in Chanthaburi.

Cebu $1,900
Chanthaburi $2,224

Living in Cebu costs roughly 5% less than in Chanthaburi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Chanthaburi 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$1.18 ฿39.32

161.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$35.45 ฿1,185

-31.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.15 ฿239

-45.17%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.52 ฿50.8

65.13%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.52 ฿17.25

205.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.29 ฿9.60

82.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.67 ฿55.8

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.40 ฿147

-50.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.52 ฿51.0

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.47 ฿48.97

-7.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.87 ฿29.09

16.09%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.05 ฿68.7

-0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$17.05 ฿570

-42.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$3.69 ฿123

18.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$13.08 ฿437

-41.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.92 ฿131

-15.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.80 ฿60.1

-22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.81 ฿93.9

-17.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.90 ฿63.3

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.17 ฿39.14

101.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.56 ฿52.2

21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.24 ฿41.41

-4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.54 ฿18.21

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.50 ฿150

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$14.75 ฿493

-59.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.71 ฿57.1

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$3.29 ฿110

-46.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.87 ฿29.23

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$88.7 ฿2,964

-85.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.01 ฿33.74

-23.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.06 ฿35.26

-78.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.87 ฿196

-24.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.20 ฿40.01

9.17%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$31.1K ฿1.0M

-31.59%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$23.3K ฿779.2K

-17.88%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$106 ฿3,547

13.30%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$3.58 ฿120

291.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$10.22 ฿342

169.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$46.50 ฿1,554

-30.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$14.30 ฿478

-53.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.30 ฿177

6.60%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$578 ฿19.3K

-52.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$16.6K ฿555.3K

-52.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$7.38 ฿247

568.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$35.89 ฿1,199

-29.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$67.6 ฿2,260

13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$20.82 ฿696

174.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$440 ฿14.7K

13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$296 ฿9,906

4.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,368 ฿45.7K

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$727 ฿24.3K

-15.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

50.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,552 ฿51.9K

23.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.25

37.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Chanthaburi

$296 30.7% 4% $12

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Chanthaburi

$264 27.4% 28.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Chanthaburi

$120 12.4% 25.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Chanthaburi

$59 6.1% 36.9% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Chanthaburi

$69 7.2% 21.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Chanthaburi

$57 5.9% 30.9% $13

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Chanthaburi

$98 10.2% 533% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $440 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $35.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $264 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Chanthaburi

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

04:00 4:00 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

27,602

💱 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 = 70.78 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 = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Chanthaburi 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Chanthaburi

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 Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $1,447 in Chanthaburi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $440 in Chanthaburi. 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 $965 in Chanthaburi – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 602% less than in Chanthaburi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $965 in Chanthaburi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Chanthaburi. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chanthaburi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Chanthaburi 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Chanthaburi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.