Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Koh Phi Phi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phi Phi
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Koh Phi Phi Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Koh Phi Phi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi.

Cebu $934
Koh Phi Phi $1,930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $3,266 in Koh Phi Phi.

Cebu $1,415
Koh Phi Phi $3,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $4,603 in Koh Phi Phi.

Cebu $1,896
Koh Phi Phi $4,603

Living in Cebu costs roughly 52% less than in Koh Phi Phi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Koh Phi Phi is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$6.82 ฿228

-55.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$48.47 ฿1,623

-51.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$12.83 ฿430

-68.12%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.10 ฿137

-38.54%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$1.36 ฿45.48

13.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.73 ฿24.55

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$3.84 ฿129

-53.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$5.54 ฿186

-59.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.00 ฿67.1

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.72 ฿57.6

-16.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.88 ฿63.0

-45.74%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.52 ฿84.5

-18.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$23.69 ฿793

-58.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$4.05 ฿136

13.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$13.17 ฿441

-41.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.50 ฿117

-5.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.95 ฿65.3

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.71 ฿90.7

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.55 ฿85.5

-39.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.82 ฿61.0

29.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.65 ฿55.3

20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.29 ฿43.10

-10.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.62 ฿20.78

8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$5.08 ฿170

-40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$21.86 ฿732

-70.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.13 ฿71.3

-38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$3.40 ฿114

-49.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$3.05 ฿102

-91.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$4.13 ฿138

-82.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.48 ฿49.50

-85.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$5.21 ฿174

-16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$2.01 ฿67.3

-33.83%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$37.6K ฿1.3M

-42.14%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$37.9K ฿1.3M

-48.78%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$106 ฿3,556

13.53%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$12.39 ฿415

16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$19.02 ฿637

48.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$62.1 ฿2,080

-47.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$13.26 ฿444

-51.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$9.25 ฿310

-40.97%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$665 ฿22.3K

-58.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$14.0K ฿467.7K

-41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$67.3 ฿2,252

-26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$29.94 ฿1,002

-16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$100 ฿3,358

-23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$90.7 ฿3,037

-34.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,569 ฿52.5K

-67.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,007 ฿33.7K

-69.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$4,640 ฿155.3K

-77.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$2,698 ฿90.3K

-77.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$7,572 ฿253.5K

-61.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$5,505 ฿184.3K

-66.08%

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 Phi Phi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Koh Phi Phi

$1K 53.5% 225% $697

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Koh Phi Phi

$321 17.1% 52.6% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Koh Phi Phi

$138 7.3% 15.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Koh Phi Phi

$130 6.9% 37% $35

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Koh Phi Phi

$181 9.6% 105% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Koh Phi Phi

$81 4.3% 85% $37

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Koh Phi Phi

$24 * 1.3% 53.5% $8.3

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 $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $48.00 in Koh Phi Phi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $321 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

12:23 12:23 PM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

2,500

💱 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 Phi Phi 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Koh Phi Phi

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 Phi Phi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,401 in Cebu and $2,894 in Koh Phi Phi 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 $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Koh Phi Phi. 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 $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Koh Phi Phi. 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 Phi Phi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Koh Phi Phi 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 107% less than in Koh Phi Phi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.