Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kampong Thom

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampong Thom: $599 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$915
/mo nomad
Kampong Thom
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kampong Thom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $599 in Kampong Thom.

  • Cebu $915
  • Kampong Thom $599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $979 in Kampong Thom.

  • Cebu $1,418
  • Kampong Thom $979

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,359 in Kampong Thom.

  • Cebu $1,921
  • Kampong Thom $1,359

Living in Cebu is roughly 53% more expensive than in Kampong Thom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Kampong Thom 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05 ₱192
$3.90 ៛15.8K
-21.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00 ₱1,511
$39.16 ៛159.1K
-38.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.99 ₱251
$7.19 ៛29.2K
-44.51%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ₱157
$2.87 ៛11.7K
-12.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 ₱97.1
$1.78 ៛7,244
-13.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₱31.37
$0.61 ៛2,478
-18.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$1.02 ៛4,140
74.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱136
$2.98 ៛12.1K
-27.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ₱126
$2.19 ៛8,891
-8.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ₱86.2
$1.58 ៛6,398
-13.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ₱64.9
$1.11 ៛4,508
-7.21%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.76 ៛7,158
15.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.20 ₱642
$14.96 ៛60.8K
-31.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.45 ₱280
$4.07 ៛16.5K
9.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 ₱483
$8.97 ៛36.4K
-14.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ₱208
$3.83 ៛15.5K
-13.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 ₱91.8
$1.70 ៛6,893
-14.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 ₱146
$4.23 ៛17.2K
-45.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₱94.0
$2.10 ៛8,518
-29.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.34 ₱147
$1.64 ៛6,648
42.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 ₱122
$1.27 ៛5,143
52.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.16 ₱73.0
$1.15 ៛4,665
0.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 ₱42.89
$0.78 ៛3,156
-12.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 ₱188
$1.92 ៛7,809
55.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.24 ₱393
$10.83 ៛44.0K
-42.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.3
$0.96 ៛3,891
28.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 ₱109
$1.82 ៛7,381
-4.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₱14.36
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.34 ₱777
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 ₱49.96
$1.12 ៛4,550
-29.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.86
$0.98 ៛3,960
-77.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 ₱286
$5.04 ៛20.5K
-9.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 ₱82.9
$1.37 ៛5,583
-3.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ₱1.3M
$35.0K ៛142.3M
-40.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K ₱1.2M
$44.2K ៛179.6M
-56.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 ₱7,464
$104 ៛424.4K
13.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22 ₱896
$7.37 ៛29.9K
92.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47 ₱1,730
$24.42 ៛99.2K
12.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.31 ₱2,034
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50 ₱409
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.40 ₱340
$5.02 ៛20.4K
7.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$276 ₱17.4K
$659 ៛2.7M
-58.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,866 ₱495.3K
$11.0K ៛44.6M
-28.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 ₱3,108
$27.64 ៛112.3K
78.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58 ₱1,548
$24.04 ៛97.6K
2.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 ₱4,825
$89.7 ៛364.4K
-14.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9 ₱3,706
$58.0 ៛235.8K
1.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$503 ₱31.7K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ₱19.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 ₱67.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$632 ₱39.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,870 ₱180.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,877 ₱118.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Kampong Thom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$336 ₱21.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
8.07
-10.78%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$305
Kampong Thom
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210
Kampong Thom
$249 19% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160
Kampong Thom
$136 15% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Kampong Thom
$90 4.8% $4.5
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Kampong Thom
$108 22.9% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43
Kampong Thom
$10 * 76.7% $33
Getting Around
Cebu
$15
Kampong Thom
$6 * 60.4% $9.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $39.00 in Kampong Thom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $249 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇰🇭 Kampong Thom
🕒 Local time
06:55 6:55 AM
05:55 5:55 AM
1 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
19,951
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Kampong Thom 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Kampong Thom

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 Kampong Thom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kampong Thom cheaper than Cebu?
Kampong Thom is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and utilities. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $899 in Kampong Thom 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.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Kampong Thom?
Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Kampong Thom?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $599 in Kampong Thom – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cebu or Kampong Thom?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kampong Thom gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Cebu or Kampong Thom more family-friendly?
For families, Kampong Thom 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.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Kampong Thom?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Kampong Thom are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Kampong Thom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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