Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Koh Lipe

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,083 in Koh Lipe, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Koh Lipe
Learn more

Koh Lipe Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Koh Lipe

🇹🇭 Thailand

$2,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Koh Lipe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $2,083 in Koh Lipe.

Cebu $934
Koh Lipe $2,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $3,633 in Koh Lipe.

Cebu $1,415
Koh Lipe $3,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $5,183 in Koh Lipe.

Cebu $1,896
Koh Lipe $5,183

Living in Cebu costs roughly 55% less than in Koh Lipe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Koh Lipe is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$7.32 ฿245

-58.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$52.6 ฿1,761

-55.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$14.01 ฿469

-70.81%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.35 ฿146

-42.07%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.50 ฿50.2

2.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.79 ฿26.36

-37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$4.04 ฿135

-55.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$5.80 ฿194

-61.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.14 ฿71.8

-8.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.73 ฿57.9

-17.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.97 ฿66.0

-48.22%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.69 ฿90.0

-23.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$24.13 ฿808

-59.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$4.12 ฿138

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$13.94 ฿467

-44.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.69 ฿124

-10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.03 ฿68.1

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.82 ฿94.5

-16.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.56 ฿85.7

-39.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.80 ฿60.4

31.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.71 ฿57.4

16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.38 ฿46.15

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.64 ฿21.26

4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$5.45 ฿182

-44.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$23.53 ฿788

-73.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.18 ฿72.9

-39.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$3.48 ฿116

-50.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$3.43 ฿115

-92.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$4.50 ฿151

-83.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.59 ฿53.2

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$5.78 ฿194

-25.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.17 ฿72.7

-38.71%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$40.8K ฿1.4M

-46.71%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$39.7K ฿1.3M

-51.14%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$113 ฿3,775

6.94%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$12.76 ฿427

13.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$19.37 ฿649

46.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$64.9 ฿2,171

-49.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$13.63 ฿456

-53.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$9.39 ฿314

-41.85%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$690 ฿23.1K

-60.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$14.5K ฿485.7K

-43.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$66.9 ฿2,238

-25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$29.89 ฿1,001

-16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$99.4 ฿3,329

-22.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$92.6 ฿3,099

-35.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,850 ฿61.9K

-72.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,170 ฿39.2K

-73.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$5,267 ฿176.3K

-80.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$2,976 ฿99.6K

-79.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$8,743 ฿292.7K

-66.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$6,355 ฿212.8K

-70.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Koh Lipe: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Koh Lipe

$1.2K 56.2% 278% $860

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Koh Lipe

$334 16% 58.6% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Koh Lipe

$145 7% 11.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Koh Lipe

$130 6.2% 37.3% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Koh Lipe

$194 9.3% 119% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Koh Lipe

$84 4% 91.8% $40

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Koh Lipe

$26 * 1.3% 69.4% $11

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 $506 in Cebu and $1,850 in Koh Lipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $53.0 in Koh Lipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $334 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Koh Lipe

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

800

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Koh Lipe 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Koh Lipe

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 Koh Lipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $3,124 in Koh Lipe 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: $506 in Cebu versus $1,850 in Koh Lipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Koh Lipe. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $2,083 in Koh Lipe – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,083 in Koh Lipe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Koh Lipe. 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 Koh Lipe, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Koh Lipe 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 123% less than in Koh Lipe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.