Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Khon Kaen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khon Kaen: $613 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Khon Kaen
Learn more

Khon Kaen Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Khon Kaen

🇹🇭 Thailand

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Khon Kaen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $613 in Khon Kaen.

Cebu $918
Khon Kaen $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,029 in Khon Kaen.

Cebu $1,409
Khon Kaen $1,029

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,444 in Khon Kaen.

Cebu $1,900
Khon Kaen $1,444

Living in Cebu is roughly 50% more expensive than in Khon Kaen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Khon Kaen 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.98 ฿99.7

3.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$29.88 ฿999

-18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$6.03 ฿202

-34.99%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.46 ฿48.84

71.92%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.59 ฿19.67

169.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.27 ฿8.92

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.74 ฿58.3

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.76 ฿226

-67.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.88 ฿29.38

14.77%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.47 ฿82.6

-17.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$0.92 ฿30.82

51.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.46 ฿48.83

59.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.50 ฿50.1

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.61 ฿20.51

95.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.49 ฿16.41

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.69 ฿56.4

-27.22%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.21 ฿40.47

-80.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.34 ฿44.66

-2.24%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-52.90%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.8K ฿895.5K

-28.54%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$94.1 ฿3,146

27.71%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$17.76 ฿594

-21.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$29.78 ฿995

-7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$60.5 ฿2,022

-46.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.08 ฿203

-7.07%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$8,748 ฿292.3K

-9.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$29.67 ฿992

66.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$35.23 ฿1,177

-28.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$75.1 ฿2,510

2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$87.7 ฿2,931

-34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$278 ฿9,297

79.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$161 ฿5,366

92.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$757 ฿25.3K

42.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$484 ฿16.2K

27.08%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Khon Kaen

$161 26.2% 48% $148

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Khon Kaen

$45 * 7.3% 78.4% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Khon Kaen

$142 23.1% 12.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Khon Kaen

$102 16.7% 9.1% $8.5

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Khon Kaen

$85 13.9% 3.5% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Khon Kaen

$73 11.9% 66.6% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Khon Kaen

$6.1 * 1% 61.1% $9.5

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 $278 in Khon Kaen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $30.00 in Khon Kaen. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $45.00, with Khon Kaen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Khon Kaen

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

114,459

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Khon Kaen 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Khon Kaen

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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khon Kaen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $920 in Khon Kaen 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 $278 in Khon Kaen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 362% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Khon Kaen – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Khon Kaen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Khon Kaen 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 Khon Kaen 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 Khon Kaen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.