Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
Learn more

Hat Yai Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Hat Yai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $731 in Hat Yai.

Cebu $918
Hat Yai $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,300 in Hat Yai.

Cebu $1,409
Hat Yai $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,870 in Hat Yai.

Cebu $1,900
Hat Yai $1,870

Living in Cebu is roughly 26% more expensive than in Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Hat Yai 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.90 ฿96.9

6.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$43.67 ฿1,460

-44.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$3.66 ฿122

7.10%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.88 ฿96.3

-12.85%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.33 ฿44.34

19.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.56 ฿18.60

-5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.80 ฿60.1

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$3.46 ฿116

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.45 ฿48.55

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.25 ฿41.68

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.24 ฿41.28

-18.55%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.51 ฿83.9

-19.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$22.15 ฿740

-55.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.24 ฿74.7

95.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$11.19 ฿374

-32.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.54 ฿84.8

29.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.38 ฿46.10

0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.89 ฿63.3

23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.80 ฿60.3

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.46 ฿48.94

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.03 ฿34.38

84.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.07 ฿35.74

11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.41 ฿13.57

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.36 ฿146

-31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$15.03 ฿502

-59.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.77 ฿59.2

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.99 ฿66.4

-12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.57 ฿18.98

-56.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.25 ฿41.71

-38.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.13 ฿37.78

-79.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$4.94 ฿165

-9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.29 ฿43.15

1.55%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$18.9K ฿630.6K

12.58%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-57.56%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$84.4 ฿2,819

42.52%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$11.75 ฿393

19.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$9.65 ฿322

185.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$48.45 ฿1,619

-33.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$14.10 ฿471

-52.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$7.19 ฿240

-21.42%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$562 ฿18.8K

-51.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$10.7K ฿357.3K

-25.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$37.54 ฿1,255

31.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$26.26 ฿878

-3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$70.9 ฿2,369

8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$97.3 ฿3,250

-41.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$270 ฿9,010

85.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$107 ฿3,576

188.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$729 ฿24.4K

47.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$397 ฿13.3K

54.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,915 ฿64.0K

50.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,584 ฿52.9K

21.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$452 ฿15.1K

-23.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

6.36

13.21%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Hat Yai

$107 14.7% 65.3% $202

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Hat Yai

$249 34.1% 21.1% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Hat Yai

$106 14.5% 34.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Hat Yai

$104 14.3% 11.1% $10

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 4.5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Hat Yai

$63 8.6% 44.1% $19

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3% 41.1% $6.4

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 $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hat Yai pays 31% 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 $44.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $249 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

156,802

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Hat Yai 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Hat Yai

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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and transport. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Hat Yai. 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 $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 21% 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 $731 in Hat Yai – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.