Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,072 in Gyeonggi, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
Learn more

Gyeonggi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Gyeonggi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi.

Cebu $918
Gyeonggi $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,079 in Gyeonggi.

Cebu $1,409
Gyeonggi $2,079

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,085 in Gyeonggi.

Cebu $1,900
Gyeonggi $3,085

Living in Cebu costs roughly 14% less than in Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Gyeonggi 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$7.53 ₩10.0K

-58.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$60.6 ₩80.6K

-60.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.00 ₩7,975

-34.67%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.90 ₩5,180

-35.64%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.22 ₩1,625

30.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.68 ₩903

-22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$3.47 ₩4,610

-48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.93 ₩3,890

-25.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.76 ₩2,334

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$11.17 ₩14.9K

-70.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$3.82 ₩5,084

-63.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$7.70 ₩10.2K

-69.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$3.07 ₩4,087

-74.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.58 ₩775

-60.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.46 ₩1,945

-10.27%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$120 ₱7,569

$186 ₩247.8K

-35.49%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$40.40 ₩53.7K

-65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$21.83 ₩29.0K

26.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$56.3 ₩74.9K

-42.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$10.32 ₩13.7K

-45.25%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$58.9 ₩78.4K

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$42.06 ₩55.9K

-39.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$86.3 ₩114.8K

-10.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$532 ₩707.0K

-6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$373 ₩496.5K

-17.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$2,102 ₩2.8M

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,503 ₩2.0M

-59.06%

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

$2,244 ₩3.0M

-84.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.5

105.71%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8% 20.9% $65

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9% 38.2% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2% 53.7% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9% 10.3% $9.6

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5% 76.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2% 76.4% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6% 61.5% $9.6

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 $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeonggi pays 549% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $61.0 in Gyeonggi. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $127, with Gyeonggi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

03:40 3:40 AM

1 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,234,582

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Cebu Gyeonggi 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Gyeonggi

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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 549% lower in Gyeonggi. 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 $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Gyeonggi pay roughly 62% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $61.0 in Gyeonggi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gyeonggi. 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 Gyeonggi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Gyeonggi 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 17% less than in Gyeonggi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.