Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Chon Buri

For one person, living is cheaper in Chon Buri: $813 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Chon Buri
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Chon Buri Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Chon Buri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $813 in Chon Buri.

Cebu $918
Chon Buri $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,368 in Chon Buri.

Cebu $1,409
Chon Buri $1,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,923 in Chon Buri.

Cebu $1,900
Chon Buri $1,923

Living in Cebu is roughly 13% more expensive than in Chon Buri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Chon Buri 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$1.91 ฿63.7

61.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$16.42 ฿549

47.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.53 ฿252

-47.94%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.79 ฿59.9

40.22%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.70 ฿23.53

127.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$0.34 ฿11.46

55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.74 ฿58.3

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.96 ฿98.9

-26.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.41 ฿47.26

36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$1.25 ฿41.65

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.22 ฿40.92

-17.21%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.86 ฿62.0

9.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$12.28 ฿410

-19.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.51 ฿83.8

74.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.03 ฿335

-24.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.57 ฿119

-7.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.96 ฿32.13

44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.45 ฿82.0

-4.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.64 ฿54.8

-8.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.98 ฿66.1

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.08 ฿35.98

75.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.75 ฿25.12

58.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.41 ฿13.77

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.36 ฿146

-31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$14.13 ฿472

-57.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.60 ฿53.6

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.85 ฿61.8

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.87 ฿29.19

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$2.34 ฿78.1

-67.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.53 ฿51.3

-84.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$4.91 ฿164

-9.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.30 ฿43.30

0.77%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$26.2K ฿875.3K

-18.89%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$22.6K ฿753.9K

-15.12%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$82.8 ฿2,766

45.28%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$9.21 ฿308

52.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$22.85 ฿764

20.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$46.71 ฿1,561

-30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$14.39 ฿481

-53.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.70 ฿224

-15.67%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$729 ฿24.4K

-62.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$10.7K ฿357.8K

-26.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$6.02 ฿201

719.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$36.01 ฿1,204

-29.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$71.6 ฿2,393

7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$52.8 ฿1,763

8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$519 ฿17.3K

-3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$256 ฿8,551

20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,404 ฿46.9K

-23.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$749 ฿25.0K

-17.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$1,960 ฿65.5K

47.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,556 ฿52.0K

23.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$585 ฿19.6K

-40.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

140.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Chon Buri

$256 31.5% 17.1% $53

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Chon Buri

$216 26.6% 4.9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Chon Buri

$115 14.1% 29% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Chon Buri

$75 9.2% 20.3% $19

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Chon Buri

$78 9.6% 11.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Chon Buri

$60 7.4% 37.8% $16

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Chon Buri

$14 * 1.7% 13.3% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $519 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chon Buri pays 69% 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 $16.00 in Chon Buri. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $216, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Chon Buri

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

03:31 3:31 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

70,364

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 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 Chon Buri 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Chon Buri

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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Chon Buri. 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 $519 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $813 in Chon Buri – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chon Buri gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.