Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Koh Samui

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,183 in Koh Samui.

Cebu $934
Koh Samui $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,939 in Koh Samui.

Cebu $1,415
Koh Samui $1,939

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $2,694 in Koh Samui.

Cebu $1,896
Koh Samui $2,694

Living in Cebu costs roughly 21% less than in Koh Samui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Koh Samui 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$4.36 ฿146

-30.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$32.80 ฿1,098

-28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$8.50 ฿285

-51.88%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.73 ฿91.3

-7.69%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.94 ฿31.60

63.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.50 ฿16.59

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.54 ฿84.9

-29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.73 ฿125

-39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.74 ฿58.2

12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$1.46 ฿48.79

-2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.56 ฿52.2

-34.62%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.10 ฿70.3

-1.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$19.60 ฿656

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$3.27 ฿110

40.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$10.94 ฿366

-29.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.96 ฿99.0

11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.69 ฿56.5

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.22 ฿74.2

6.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$2.10 ฿70.3

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.46 ฿48.79

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.33 ฿44.53

49.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$1.11 ฿37.27

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.51 ฿16.97

31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$4.23 ฿142

-29.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$18.25 ฿611

-65.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.74 ฿58.3

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.87 ฿95.9

-39.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$2.46 ฿82.5

-89.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$45.15 ฿1,512

-71.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$3.08 ฿103

-75.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.06 ฿35.62

-80.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$3.89 ฿130

11.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.50 ฿50.3

-11.33%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$28.2K ฿944.4K

-22.84%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$27.7K ฿925.9K

-29.86%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$102 ฿3,405

18.56%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$11.78 ฿394

22.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$17.76 ฿595

59.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$54.1 ฿1,812

-39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$11.53 ฿386

-44.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$7.73 ฿259

-29.37%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$615 ฿20.6K

-55.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$12.4K ฿415.9K

-34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$61.9 ฿2,073

-19.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$28.96 ฿969

-14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$94.6 ฿3,167

-19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$88.2 ฿2,951

-32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$619 ฿20.7K

-18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$389 ฿13.0K

-20.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,761 ฿59.0K

-40.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,025 ฿34.3K

-39.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$2,971 ฿99.5K

-1.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$2,176 ฿72.8K

-14.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$397 ฿13.3K

-14.05%

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 Samui: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Koh Samui

$389 33.5% 25.7% $79

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Koh Samui

$267 23% 27.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Koh Samui

$131 11.3% 19.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Koh Samui

$123 10.6% 30.1% $28

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Koh Samui

$119 10.2% 34.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Koh Samui

$70 6% 59.6% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Koh Samui

$63 5.5% 311% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $619 in Koh Samui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Samui pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Cebu vs $33.00 in Koh Samui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $267 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

14:01 2:01 PM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

62,110

💱 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 Samui 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Koh Samui

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 Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Koh Samui. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $619 in Koh Samui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,183 in Koh Samui – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 257% less than in Koh Samui. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,183 in Koh Samui, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Koh Samui. 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 Samui, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Koh Samui 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 27% less than in Koh Samui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.